OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

35.99°N, 36.39°EAsia/Damascus

Deep Astronomical Night-42.1° (< −18°)

21:17:05

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 0m total night

DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:48

Civil Dusk18:14

Nautical18:44

Full Dark19:14

Nadir00:18

Dark Ends05:23

Nautical05:53

Civil Dawn06:23

Sunrise06:49

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE52.7°

DISTANCE379,910 km

Moonrise16:07

Moonset04:42

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX74% · Heavy Lunar Wash

Bright moonlight washes out deep sky targets. Focus on lunar craters and bright planets.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

66/100

Good Stargazing

Fine observing conditions. Open star clusters and nebulae will exhibit crisp structure.

CLOUD COVER15%

HUMIDITY50%

VISIBILITY18 km

DEW POINT10.8°C

PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

All times calibrated to Asia/Damascus

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-47.3°	283°	Libra	07:00	12:13	17:20	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-36.7°	21°	Leo	01:22	08:07	14:55	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	47.2°	138°	Pisces	16:59	23:05	05:11	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-30.5°	29°	Cancer	00:37	07:34	14:32	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-31.7°	266°	Libra	08:35	13:37	18:35	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	19.9°	78°	Taurus	19:30	02:36	09:47	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	49.2°	149°	Pisces	16:35	22:36	04:36	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

RISES16:07

BEST TIME22:20S · 56° high

SETS04:42

Reaches about 56° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:22

BEST TIME08:07S · 68° high

SETS14:55

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:59

BEST TIME23:05S · 55° high

SETS05:11

Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES07:00

BEST TIME12:13S · 36° high

SETS17:20

Reaches about 36° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:37

BEST TIME07:34S · 72° high

SETS14:32

Reaches about 72° 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.