OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

28.68°N, 14.01°WAtlantic/Canary

Daylight+23.0°

17:22:36

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

Sunset19:18

Civil Dusk19:42

Nautical20:10

Full Dark20:37

Nadir01:40

Dark Ends06:43

Nautical07:10

Civil Dawn07:38

Sunrise08:02

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE-2.6°

DISTANCE380,339 km

Moonrise17:33

Moonset06:10

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 Atlantic/Canary

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Visible Low	-4.3	17.7°	237°	Libra	08:14	13:34	18:55	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-15.7°	297°	Leo	02:54	09:31	16:05	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-13.0°	81°	Pisces	18:22	00:26	06:35	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-19.9°	305°	Cancer	02:12	08:57	15:40	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	29.4°	219°	Libra	09:44	14:58	20:12	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-36.1°	24°	Taurus	21:07	03:58	10:52	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-7.4°	86°	Pisces	17:56	23:57	06:01	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

RISES17:33

BEST TIME23:48S · 64° high

SETS06:10

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:54

BEST TIME09:31S · 76° high

SETS16:05

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

RISES18:22

BEST TIME00:26S · 63° high

SETS06:35

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

RISES08:14

BEST TIME13:34S · 43° high

SETS18:55

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

RISES02:12

BEST TIME08:57S · 79° high

SETS15:40

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

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.