OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

38.09°N, 29.40°EEurope/Istanbul

Nautical Twilight-8.2° (−6° to −12°)

18:55:23

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 6m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:14

Civil Dusk18:41

Nautical19:11

Full Dark19:42

Nadir00:46

Dark Ends05:51

Nautical06:22

Civil Dawn06:52

Sunrise07:19

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE25.8°

DISTANCE380,441 km

Moonrise16:35

Moonset05:13

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX40% · Moderate Lunar Glow

Milky Way contrast is softened. Bright open clusters and double stars are optimal.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

58/100

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 Europe/Istanbul

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-13.4°	258°	Libra	07:39	12:41	17:44	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-31.9°	330°	Leo	01:46	08:38	15:27	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	16.8°	102°	Pisces	17:27	23:33	05:39	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-31.4°	341°	Cancer	01:00	08:03	15:05	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	0.4°	243°	Libra	09:12	14:05	18:58	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-9.6°	53°	Taurus	19:52	03:04	10:20	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	21.2°	108°	Pisces	17:03	23:03	05:04	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

RISES16:35

BEST TIME22:48S · 54° high

SETS05:13

Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:46

BEST TIME08:38S · 66° high

SETS15:27

Reaches about 66° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:27

BEST TIME23:33S · 53° high

SETS05:39

Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES07:39

BEST TIME12:41S · 34° high

SETS17:44

Reaches about 34° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:00

BEST TIME08:03S · 70° high

SETS15:05

Reaches about 70° 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.