OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

40.61°N, 38.39°EEurope/Istanbul

Deep Astronomical Night-38.4° (< −18°)

20:57:51

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 12m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:34

Civil Dusk18:02

Nautical18:34

Full Dark19:06

Nadir00:11

Dark Ends05:15

Nautical05:47

Civil Dawn06:19

Sunrise06:47

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE47.4°

DISTANCE379,982 km

Moonrise15:58

Moonset04:36

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX68% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

68/100

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 Europe/Istanbul

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-44.0°	286°	Libra	07:01	12:05	17:02	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-33.0°	17°	Leo	01:06	07:59	14:55	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	42.3°	137°	Pisces	16:51	22:57	05:04	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-27.3°	25°	Cancer	00:19	07:26	14:34	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-29.7°	267°	Libra	08:39	13:29	18:15	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	18.7°	78°	Taurus	19:10	02:29	09:52	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	44.1°	148°	Pisces	16:27	22:28	04:28	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

RISES15:58

BEST TIME22:11S · 51° high

SETS04:36

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:06

BEST TIME07:59S · 64° high

SETS14:55

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:51

BEST TIME22:57S · 51° high

SETS05:04

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES07:01

BEST TIME12:05S · 31° high

SETS17:02

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

RISES00:19

BEST TIME07:26S · 67° high

SETS14:34

Reaches about 67° 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.