OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

28.19°N, 17.20°WAtlantic/Canary

Daylight+20.2°

17:50:49

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 6m of true darkness · 12h 43m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:31

Civil Dusk19:55

Nautical20:23

Full Dark20:50

Nadir01:53

Dark Ends06:55

Nautical07:23

Civil Dawn07:50

Sunrise08:14

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE0.5°

DISTANCE380,233 km

Moonrise17:46

Moonset06:23

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX1% · Minimal Lunar Glare

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

41/100

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 Atlantic/Canary

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Visible Low	-4.3	15.0°	240°	Libra	08:26	13:47	19:08	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-18.9°	299°	Leo	03:07	09:44	16:18	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-9.7°	83°	Pisces	18:34	00:39	06:48	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-23.0°	308°	Cancer	02:26	09:09	15:52	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	27.6°	223°	Libra	09:56	15:11	20:26	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-35.0°	28°	Taurus	21:21	04:10	11:03	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-4.0°	88°	Pisces	18:09	00:09	06:14	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

RISES17:46

BEST TIME00:01S · 65° high

SETS06:23

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES03:07

BEST TIME09:44S · 76° high

SETS16:18

Reaches about 76° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:34

BEST TIME00:39S · 63° high

SETS06:48

Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:26

BEST TIME13:47S · 44° high

SETS19:08

Reaches about 44° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:26

BEST TIME09:09S · 80° high

SETS15:52

Reaches about 80° 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.