OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

36.84°N, 28.76°EEurope/Istanbul

Deep Astronomical Night-28.6° (< −18°)

20:40:17

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 2m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:18

Civil Dusk18:44

Nautical19:14

Full Dark19:44

Nadir00:49

Dark Ends05:53

Nautical06:23

Civil Dawn06:54

Sunrise07:20

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE43.7°

DISTANCE380,048 km

Moonrise16:38

Moonset05:15

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX64% · 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	-33.7°	272°	Libra	07:32	12:44	17:49	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-38.4°	0°	Leo	01:51	08:41	15:27	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	36.1°	121°	Pisces	17:30	23:36	05:42	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-34.2°	10°	Cancer	01:06	08:04	15:04	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-18.3°	257°	Libra	09:12	14:07	19:03	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	7.2°	69°	Taurus	19:58	03:07	10:20	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	39.7°	129°	Pisces	17:05	23:06	05:07	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

RISES16:38

BEST TIME22:51S · 55° high

SETS05:15

Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:51

BEST TIME08:41S · 68° high

SETS15:27

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:30

BEST TIME23:36S · 55° high

SETS05:42

Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES07:32

BEST TIME12:44S · 35° high

SETS17:49

Reaches about 35° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:06

BEST TIME08:04S · 71° high

SETS15:04

Reaches about 71° 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.