OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

28.83°N, 17.80°WAtlantic/Canary
Daylight+0.9°
19:27:17
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 6m of true darkness · 12h 44m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset19:33
Civil Dusk19:57
Nautical20:25
Full Dark20:52
Nadir01:55
Dark Ends06:58
Nautical07:26
Civil Dawn07:53
Sunrise08:17
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
SunsetSunrise
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry
30° ALT60° ALTZENITHNESW Polaris Vega Arcturus Altair Antares Deneb Saturn (0.3) Mercury (0.4) Neptune (7.8) Moon (93%)
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION93%
ALTITUDE20.2°
DISTANCE379,872 km
Moonrise17:49
Moonset06:25
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX32% · Moderate Lunar Glow

Milky Way contrast is softened. Bright open clusters and double stars are optimal.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
31/100
Challenging Stargazing

High cloud cover or severe light interference. Recommend bright planetary observation or indoor planning.

CLOUD COVER15%
HUMIDITY50%
VISIBILITY18 km
DEW POINT10.8°C
PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

PLANETSTATUSMAGNITUDEALTITUDEAZIMUTHCONSTELLATIONRISETRANSITSETEQUIPMENT
Venus♀ Below Horizon -4.3-3.6°252°Libra08:2913:4919:09Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Below Horizon -2.0-35.0°318°Leo03:0909:4716:21Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Visible Low 0.310.5°94°Pisces18:3700:4106:46Naked Eye
Mars♂ Below Horizon 1.0-36.5°328°Cancer02:2709:1215:55Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Visible Low 0.411.2°238°Libra10:0015:1320:27Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-21.4°49°Taurus21:2204:1311:07Binoculars
Neptune♆ Visible Low 7.816.1°100°Pisces18:1100:1206:12Telescope
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
RISES17:49
BEST TIME00:03S · 64° high
SETS06:25
Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES03:09
BEST TIME09:47S · 76° high
SETS16:21
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
RISES18:37
BEST TIME00:41S · 63° high
SETS06:46
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
RISES08:29
BEST TIME13:49S · 43° high
SETS19:09
Reaches about 43° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES02:27
BEST TIME09:12S · 79° high
SETS15:55
Reaches about 79° 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

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.