Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Daylight+10.6°
18:27:12
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 21m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset19:34
Civil Dusk20:03
Nautical20:36
Full Dark21:09
Nadir02:14
Dark Ends07:19
Nautical07:52
Civil Dawn08:25
Sunrise08:54
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE3.4°
DISTANCE380,322 km
Moonrise18:04
Moonset06:50
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX5% · Minimal Lunar Glare
ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
40/100
Partial haze or lunar wash. Bright clusters, double stars, and prominent planets remain well visible.
CLOUD COVER15%
HUMIDITY50%
VISIBILITY18 km
DEW POINT10.8°C
| PLANET | STATUS | MAGNITUDE | ALTITUDE | AZIMUTH | CONSTELLATION | RISE | TRANSIT | SET | EQUIPMENT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venus♀ | Rising / Setting | -4.3 | 4.8° | 240° | Libra | 09:18 | 14:08 | 18:59 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -13.3° | 306° | Leo | 03:04 | 10:05 | 17:04 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Below Horizon | 0.3 | -4.7° | 83° | Pisces | 18:53 | 01:00 | 07:12 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -15.2° | 315° | Cancer | 02:15 | 09:31 | 16:45 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Visible Low | 0.4 | 14.2° | 222° | Libra | 10:54 | 15:32 | 20:10 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -20.1° | 28° | Taurus | 21:04 | 04:31 | 12:03 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Below Horizon | 7.8 | -0.5° | 89° | Pisces | 18:30 | 00:31 | 06:35 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES18:04
BEST TIME00:21S · 49° high
SETS06:50
Reaches about 49° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES03:04
BEST TIME10:05S · 61° high
SETS17:04
Reaches about 61° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES18:53
BEST TIME01:00S · 48° high
SETS07:12
Reaches about 48° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Good height
RISES09:18
BEST TIME14:08S · 29° high
SETS18:59
Reaches about 29° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES02:15
BEST TIME09:31S · 65° high
SETS16:45
Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Distinctive crimson hue; polar ice cap discernible near opposition.
M31 / NGC 224 · Andromeda
Spiral Galaxy (2.5M ly)Andromeda Galaxy
Our galactic neighbor; visible as a ghostly oval smudge with dense radiant stellar core.
M45 · Taurus
Open Star ClusterThe Pleiades (Seven Sisters)
Breathtaking blue diamond cluster enshrouded in delicate interstellar reflection nebulosity.
M42 / NGC 1976 · Orion
Diffuse Emission NebulaGreat Orion Nebula
Star nursery harboring the brilliant Trapezium cluster with sprawling bat-wing filaments.
NGC 869 & NGC 884 · Perseus
Twin Open ClustersThe Double Cluster
Pair of spectacular shimmering jewel-boxes bursting with ruby supergiant stars.
M13 / NGC 6205 · Hercules
Globular Cluster (300k stars)Great Globular Cluster in Hercules
Massive beehive of ancient stars packed tightly together into a blazing central ball.
M57 / NGC 6720 · Lyra
Planetary NebulaThe Ring Nebula
Delicate glowing smoke-ring left behind by a dying star 2,500 light-years away.
