Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Daylight+13.5°
17:50:58
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 20m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset19:16
Civil Dusk19:45
Nautical20:18
Full Dark20:51
Nadir01:56
Dark Ends07:01
Nautical07:34
Civil Dawn08:07
Sunrise08:36
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE0.4°
DISTANCE380,458 km
Moonrise17:46
Moonset06:31
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX1% · Minimal Lunar Glare
ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
41/100
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 | 7.6° | 236° | Libra | 09:00 | 13:50 | 18:41 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -10.5° | 302° | Leo | 02:46 | 09:47 | 16:46 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Below Horizon | 0.3 | -8.0° | 80° | Pisces | 18:35 | 00:42 | 06:54 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -12.7° | 311° | Cancer | 01:57 | 09:13 | 16:27 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Visible Low | 0.4 | 16.4° | 218° | Libra | 10:36 | 15:14 | 19:52 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -21.6° | 24° | Taurus | 20:46 | 04:14 | 11:45 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Below Horizon | 7.8 | -3.9° | 86° | Pisces | 18:12 | 00:13 | 06:17 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES17:46
BEST TIME00:02S · 49° high
SETS06:31
Reaches about 49° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES02:46
BEST TIME09:47S · 61° high
SETS16:46
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
RISES18:35
BEST TIME00:42S · 48° high
SETS06:54
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
RISES09:00
BEST TIME13:50S · 29° high
SETS18:41
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
RISES01:57
BEST TIME09:13S · 65° high
SETS16:27
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.
