Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Daylight+7.3°
18:37:37
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 10m of true darkness · 13h 15m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset19:22
Civil Dusk19:50
Nautical20:22
Full Dark20:54
Nadir01:59
Dark Ends07:04
Nautical07:36
Civil Dawn08:08
Sunrise08:37
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE8.1°
DISTANCE380,283 km
Moonrise17:50
Moonset06:33
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX13% · Minimal Lunar Glare
ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
37/100
High cloud cover or severe light interference. Recommend bright planetary observation or indoor planning.
CLOUD COVER15%
HUMIDITY50%
VISIBILITY18 km
DEW POINT10.8°C
| PLANET | STATUS | MAGNITUDE | ALTITUDE | AZIMUTH | CONSTELLATION | RISE | TRANSIT | SET | EQUIPMENT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venus♀ | Rising / Setting | -4.3 | 1.8° | 244° | Libra | 08:58 | 13:53 | 18:49 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -18.2° | 310° | Leo | 02:53 | 09:51 | 16:45 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Below Horizon | 0.3 | -0.2° | 87° | Pisces | 18:39 | 00:45 | 06:57 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -19.9° | 320° | Cancer | 02:05 | 09:16 | 16:25 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Visible Low | 0.4 | 12.4° | 227° | Libra | 10:33 | 15:17 | 20:01 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -19.4° | 34° | Taurus | 20:56 | 04:17 | 11:42 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Rising / Setting | 7.8 | 3.8° | 94° | Pisces | 18:15 | 00:16 | 06:16 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES17:50
BEST TIME00:05S · 51° high
SETS06:33
Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES02:53
BEST TIME09:51S · 63° high
SETS16:45
Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES18:39
BEST TIME00:45S · 50° high
SETS06:57
Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Good height
RISES08:58
BEST TIME13:53S · 31° high
SETS18:49
Reaches about 31° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES02:05
BEST TIME09:16S · 67° high
SETS16:25
Reaches about 67° 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.
