OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

21.19°S, 175.18°WPacific/Tongatapu

Daylight+2.5°

06:16:38

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 43m of true darkness · 11h 16m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:46

Civil Dusk19:09

Nautical19:36

Full Dark20:03

Nadir00:24

Dark Ends04:46

Nautical05:13

Civil Dawn05:40

Sunrise06:03

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE-27.5°

DISTANCE380,137 km

Moonrise16:49

Moonset04:16

HorizonBelow

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX0% · Minimal Lunar Glare

Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

42/100

Fair Stargazing

Partial haze or lunar wash. Bright clusters, double stars, and prominent planets remain well visible.

CLOUD COVER15%

HUMIDITY50%

VISIBILITY18 km

DEW POINT10.8°C

PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

All times calibrated to Pacific/Tongatapu

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Rising / Setting	-4.3	6.2°	107°	Libra	05:46	12:16	18:52	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Optimal Visibility	-2.0	44.0°	42°	Leo	02:36	08:15	13:53	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-14.9°	265°	Pisces	17:10	23:13	05:12	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Optimal Visibility	1.0	45.8°	29°	Cancer	02:07	07:41	13:14	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-10.4°	118°	Libra	07:05	13:41	20:21	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	23.2°	306°	Taurus	21:17	02:44	08:12	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-21.2°	261°	Pisces	16:37	22:44	04:46	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

RISES16:49

BEST TIME22:07N · 69° high

SETS04:16

Reaches about 69° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:36

BEST TIME08:15N · 54° high

SETS13:53

Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:10

BEST TIME23:13N · 67° high

SETS05:12

Reaches about 67° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:46

BEST TIME12:16N · 87° high

SETS18:52

Reaches about 87° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:07

BEST TIME07:41N · 51° high

SETS13:14

Reaches about 51° 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.