OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

41.10°N, 30.68°EEurope/Istanbul

Deep Astronomical Night-34.3° (< −18°)

21:06:36

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 14m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:05

Civil Dusk18:33

Nautical19:05

Full Dark19:37

Nadir00:41

Dark Ends05:46

Nautical06:18

Civil Dawn06:50

Sunrise07:18

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE44.9°

DISTANCE379,950 km

Moonrise16:30

Moonset05:09

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX65% · 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	-39.8°	282°	Libra	07:33	12:36	17:32	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-33.5°	10°	Leo	01:36	08:30	15:27	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	39.0°	132°	Pisces	17:21	23:28	05:35	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-28.4°	19°	Cancer	00:48	07:56	15:06	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-25.6°	264°	Libra	09:15	14:00	18:44	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	14.7°	75°	Taurus	19:39	02:59	10:24	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	41.3°	141°	Pisces	16:58	22:58	04:59	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

RISES16:30

BEST TIME22:43S · 51° high

SETS05:09

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:36

BEST TIME08:30S · 63° high

SETS15:27

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

RISES17:21

BEST TIME23:28S · 50° high

SETS05:35

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

RISES07:33

BEST TIME12:36S · 31° high

SETS17:32

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

RISES00:48

BEST TIME07:56S · 67° high

SETS15:06

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.