Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Civil Twilight-0.8° (0° to −6°)
19:31:31
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 21m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset19:27
Civil Dusk19:57
Nautical20:30
Full Dark21:03
Nadir02:08
Dark Ends07:12
Nautical07:46
Civil Dawn08:19
Sunrise08:48
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION93%
ALTITUDE15.8°
DISTANCE380,081 km
Moonrise17:58
Moonset06:44
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX25% · Minimal Lunar Glare
ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
48/100
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♀ | Below Horizon | -4.3 | -6.5° | 252° | Libra | 09:12 | 14:02 | 18:52 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -22.6° | 321° | Leo | 02:57 | 09:59 | 16:58 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Rising / Setting | 0.3 | 7.6° | 95° | Pisces | 18:47 | 00:54 | 07:01 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -22.9° | 331° | Cancer | 02:09 | 09:24 | 16:39 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Rising / Setting | 0.4 | 4.7° | 235° | Libra | 10:48 | 15:26 | 20:04 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -12.4° | 44° | Taurus | 20:58 | 04:25 | 11:57 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Visible Low | 7.8 | 11.7° | 102° | Pisces | 18:24 | 00:24 | 06:25 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES17:58
BEST TIME00:14S · 49° high
SETS06:44
Reaches about 49° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES02:57
BEST TIME09:59S · 61° high
SETS16:58
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
RISES18:47
BEST TIME00:54S · 48° high
SETS07:01
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
RISES09:12
BEST TIME14:02S · 29° high
SETS18:52
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
RISES02:09
BEST TIME09:24S · 65° high
SETS16:39
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.
