OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

38.64°N, 35.19°EEurope/Istanbul

Deep Astronomical Night-43.0° (< −18°)

21:32:03

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 7m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:50

Civil Dusk18:17

Nautical18:48

Full Dark19:19

Nadir00:23

Dark Ends05:28

Nautical05:59

Civil Dawn06:30

Sunrise06:57

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE51.0°

DISTANCE379,855 km

Moonrise16:12

Moonset04:49

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX72% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

67/100

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	-48.6°	288°	Libra	07:10	12:18	17:20	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-33.5°	23°	Leo	01:22	08:12	15:05	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	46.5°	143°	Pisces	17:04	23:10	05:16	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-27.2°	30°	Cancer	00:36	07:38	14:43	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-33.8°	269°	Libra	08:47	13:42	18:33	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	22.3°	80°	Taurus	19:28	02:41	09:59	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	47.9°	154°	Pisces	16:40	22:40	04:41	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

RISES16:12

BEST TIME22:25S · 53° high

SETS04:49

Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:22

BEST TIME08:12S · 66° high

SETS15:05

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

RISES17:04

BEST TIME23:10S · 53° high

SETS05:16

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

RISES07:10

BEST TIME12:18S · 33° high

SETS17:20

Reaches about 33° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:36

BEST TIME07:38S · 69° high

SETS14:43

Reaches about 69° 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.