OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

13.52°S, 172.64°WPacific/Apia

Nautical Twilight-10.1° (−6° to −12°)

05:18:28

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 5m of true darkness · 11h 31m total night

DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:29

Civil Dusk18:51

Nautical19:16

Full Dark19:42

Nadir00:14

Dark Ends04:47

Nautical05:12

Civil Dawn05:38

Sunrise06:00

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE-17.2°

DISTANCE380,355 km

Moonrise16:36

Moonset04:06

HorizonBelow

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX0% · Minimal Lunar Glare

Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

72/100

Good Stargazing

Fine observing conditions. Open star clusters and nebulae will exhibit crisp structure.

CLOUD COVER15%

HUMIDITY50%

VISIBILITY18 km

DEW POINT10.8°C

PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

All times calibrated to Pacific/Apia

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-6.7°	111°	Libra	05:47	12:06	18:31	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Optimal Visibility	-2.0	40.2°	57°	Leo	02:17	08:04	13:52	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-3.6°	270°	Pisces	16:59	23:03	05:03	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Optimal Visibility	1.0	44.7°	47°	Cancer	01:46	07:30	13:15	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-24.3°	121°	Libra	07:08	13:31	19:57	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	37.0°	310°	Taurus	20:54	02:34	08:15	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-10.4°	267°	Pisces	16:28	22:33	04:35	Telescope

TONIGHT'S VIEWING SCHEDULE

When & Where to Look Tonight

A simple guide to when each object is above your horizon. No astronomy chart reading required.

BEST TIMEHighest in your sky

The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:36

BEST TIME21:57N · 77° high

SETS04:06

Reaches about 77° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:17

BEST TIME08:04N · 62° high

SETS13:52

Reaches about 62° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:59

BEST TIME23:03N · 75° high

SETS05:03

Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:47

BEST TIME12:06S · 86° high

SETS18:31

Reaches about 86° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:46

BEST TIME07:30N · 59° high

SETS13:15

Reaches about 59° above the horizon at its highest point.Distinctive crimson hue; polar ice cap discernible near opposition.

OBSERVING LOG & TARGET LIST

Tonight's Prime Deep-Sky Targets

0 / 6 targets logged tonight

M31 / NGC 224 · Andromeda

Andromeda Galaxy

Spiral Galaxy (2.5M ly)

Our galactic neighbor; visible as a ghostly oval smudge with dense radiant stellar core.

M45 · Taurus

The Pleiades (Seven Sisters)

Open Star Cluster

Breathtaking blue diamond cluster enshrouded in delicate interstellar reflection nebulosity.

M42 / NGC 1976 · Orion

Great Orion Nebula

Diffuse Emission Nebula

Star nursery harboring the brilliant Trapezium cluster with sprawling bat-wing filaments.

NGC 869 & NGC 884 · Perseus

The Double Cluster

Twin Open Clusters

Pair of spectacular shimmering jewel-boxes bursting with ruby supergiant stars.

M13 / NGC 6205 · Hercules

Great Globular Cluster in Hercules

Globular Cluster (300k stars)

Massive beehive of ancient stars packed tightly together into a blazing central ball.

M57 / NGC 6720 · Lyra

The Ring Nebula

Planetary Nebula

Delicate glowing smoke-ring left behind by a dying star 2,500 light-years away.