OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

13.88°S, 171.64°WPacific/Apia

Daylight+32.7°

08:15:26

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 3m of true darkness · 11h 29m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:26

Civil Dusk18:47

Nautical19:13

Full Dark19:39

Nadir00:10

Dark Ends04:42

Nautical05:07

Civil Dawn05:33

Sunrise05:55

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE-59.2°

DISTANCE379,693 km

Moonrise16:32

Moonset04:02

HorizonBelow

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX0% · Minimal Lunar Glare

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

42/100

Fair Stargazing

Partial haze or lunar wash. Bright clusters, double stars, and prominent planets remain well visible.

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♀	Optimal Visibility	-4.3	35.3°	102°	Libra	05:43	12:02	18:21	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Optimal Visibility	-2.0	61.5°	353°	Leo	02:13	08:00	13:48	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-47.6°	256°	Pisces	16:55	22:59	04:59	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Optimal Visibility	1.0	56.1°	339°	Cancer	01:43	07:26	13:10	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	15.8°	108°	Libra	07:04	13:27	19:50	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-1.0°	291°	Taurus	20:51	02:30	08:10	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-53.9°	249°	Pisces	16:24	22:29	04:31	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

RISES16:32

BEST TIME21:53N · 76° high

SETS04:02

Reaches about 76° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:13

BEST TIME08:00N · 62° high

SETS13:48

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

RISES16:55

BEST TIME22:59N · 75° high

SETS04:59

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

RISES05:43

BEST TIME12:02S · 86° high

SETS18:21

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

RISES01:43

BEST TIME07:26N · 58° high

SETS13:10

Reaches about 58° 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.