Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Daylight+12.0°
18:07:18
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
Sunset19:22
Civil Dusk19:51
Nautical20:24
Full Dark20:57
Nadir02:02
Dark Ends07:07
Nautical07:40
Civil Dawn08:13
Sunrise08:42
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE2.1°
DISTANCE380,397 km
Moonrise17:52
Moonset06:38
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX3% · 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 | 6.1° | 238° | Libra | 09:06 | 13:56 | 18:47 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -12.2° | 304° | Leo | 02:52 | 09:53 | 16:52 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Below Horizon | 0.3 | -6.2° | 82° | Pisces | 18:41 | 00:48 | 07:00 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -14.2° | 313° | Cancer | 02:04 | 09:19 | 16:32 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Visible Low | 0.4 | 15.3° | 220° | Libra | 10:42 | 15:20 | 19:59 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -20.9° | 26° | Taurus | 20:53 | 04:20 | 11:50 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Below Horizon | 7.8 | -2.0° | 88° | Pisces | 18:18 | 00:19 | 06:23 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES17:52
BEST TIME00:08S · 49° high
SETS06:38
Reaches about 49° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES02:52
BEST TIME09:53S · 61° high
SETS16:52
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
RISES18:41
BEST TIME00:48S · 48° high
SETS07:00
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
RISES09:06
BEST TIME13:56S · 29° high
SETS18:47
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
RISES02:04
BEST TIME09:19S · 65° high
SETS16:32
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.
