OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

13.76°S, 172.31°WPacific/Apia

Daylight+28.4°

08:00:07

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

Sunset18:28

Civil Dusk18:50

Nautical19:16

Full Dark19:41

Nadir00:13

Dark Ends04:44

Nautical05:10

Civil Dawn05:36

Sunrise05:58

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-55.2°

DISTANCE379,750 km

Moonrise16:35

Moonset04:05

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	31.0°	103°	Libra	05:46	12:05	18:23	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Optimal Visibility	-2.0	61.8°	2°	Leo	02:16	08:03	13:50	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-43.3°	259°	Pisces	16:58	23:02	05:02	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Optimal Visibility	1.0	57.5°	346°	Cancer	01:45	07:29	13:13	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	11.6°	109°	Libra	07:07	13:30	19:53	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	2.7°	292°	Taurus	20:53	02:33	08:13	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-49.8°	252°	Pisces	16:26	22:32	04:34	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

RISES16:35

BEST TIME21:56N · 76° high

SETS04:05

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:16

BEST TIME08:03N · 62° high

SETS13:50

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

RISES16:58

BEST TIME23:02N · 75° high

SETS05:02

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

RISES05:46

BEST TIME12:05S · 86° high

SETS18:23

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

RISES01:45

BEST TIME07:29N · 58° high

SETS13:13

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.