OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

40.05°N, 27.97°EEurope/Istanbul

Deep Astronomical Night-26.4° (< −18°)

20:34:28

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 11m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:17

Civil Dusk18:44

Nautical19:16

Full Dark19:47

Nadir00:52

Dark Ends05:57

Nautical06:28

Civil Dawn07:00

Sunrise07:28

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE40.2°

DISTANCE380,070 km

Moonrise16:41

Moonset05:20

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX60% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

71/100

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	-31.7°	273°	Libra	07:42	12:47	17:45	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-35.1°	358°	Leo	01:49	08:44	15:36	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	33.0°	120°	Pisces	17:32	23:39	05:45	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-31.3°	7°	Cancer	01:02	08:07	15:15	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-17.3°	257°	Libra	09:23	14:11	18:58	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	6.7°	68°	Taurus	19:53	03:10	10:31	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	36.3°	129°	Pisces	17:09	23:09	05:10	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

RISES16:41

BEST TIME22:54S · 52° high

SETS05:20

Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:49

BEST TIME08:44S · 64° high

SETS15:36

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

RISES17:32

BEST TIME23:39S · 51° high

SETS05:45

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

RISES07:42

BEST TIME12:47S · 32° high

SETS17:45

Reaches about 32° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:02

BEST TIME08:07S · 68° high

SETS15:15

Reaches about 68° 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.