Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Daylight+18.1°
17:43:24
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 10m of true darkness · 13h 11m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset19:31
Civil Dusk19:59
Nautical20:31
Full Dark21:02
Nadir02:07
Dark Ends07:12
Nautical07:43
Civil Dawn08:15
Sunrise08:43
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE-3.0°
DISTANCE380,486 km
Moonrise17:58
Moonset06:41
HorizonBelow
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX0% · Minimal Lunar Glare
ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
42/100
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♀ | Visible Low | -4.3 | 12.2° | 233° | Libra | 09:04 | 14:01 | 18:59 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -9.1° | 298° | Leo | 03:03 | 09:58 | 16:51 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Below Horizon | 0.3 | -12.1° | 77° | Pisces | 18:47 | 00:53 | 07:04 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -12.0° | 307° | Cancer | 02:16 | 09:24 | 16:30 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Visible Low | 0.4 | 20.9° | 215° | Libra | 10:38 | 15:25 | 20:12 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -25.8° | 20° | Taurus | 21:07 | 04:25 | 11:46 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Below Horizon | 7.8 | -7.6° | 83° | Pisces | 18:23 | 00:24 | 06:28 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES17:58
BEST TIME00:14S · 52° high
SETS06:41
Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES03:03
BEST TIME09:58S · 64° high
SETS16:51
Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES18:47
BEST TIME00:53S · 51° high
SETS07:04
Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Good height
RISES09:04
BEST TIME14:01S · 32° high
SETS18:59
Reaches about 32° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES02:16
BEST TIME09:24S · 68° high
SETS16:30
Reaches about 68° 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.
