OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

41.06°N, 39.14°EEurope/Istanbul

Deep Astronomical Night-34.9° (< −18°)

20:36:27

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

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

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:31

Civil Dusk17:59

Nautical18:31

Full Dark19:03

Nadir00:08

Dark Ends05:12

Nautical05:44

Civil Dawn06:16

Sunrise06:44

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE45.3°

DISTANCE380,062 km

Moonrise15:55

Moonset04:33

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX66% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

69/100

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	-40.5°	282°	Libra	06:59	12:02	16:58	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-33.4°	11°	Leo	01:02	07:56	14:53	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	39.5°	133°	Pisces	16:47	22:54	05:01	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-28.2°	20°	Cancer	00:15	07:23	14:33	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-26.2°	265°	Libra	08:41	13:26	18:11	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	15.4°	75°	Taurus	19:05	02:26	09:50	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	41.8°	142°	Pisces	16:24	22:25	04:25	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

RISES15:55

BEST TIME22:08S · 51° high

SETS04:33

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:02

BEST TIME07:56S · 63° high

SETS14:53

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

RISES16:47

BEST TIME22:54S · 50° high

SETS05:01

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

RISES06:59

BEST TIME12:02S · 31° high

SETS16:58

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

RISES00:15

BEST TIME07:23S · 67° high

SETS14:33

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.