OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

38.69°N, 39.92°EEurope/Istanbul

Deep Astronomical Night-36.6° (< −18°)

20:38:44

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

Sunset17:31

Civil Dusk17:58

Nautical18:29

Full Dark19:00

Nadir00:04

Dark Ends05:09

Nautical05:40

Civil Dawn06:11

Sunrise06:38

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE47.8°

DISTANCE380,054 km

Moonrise15:52

Moonset04:29

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX69% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

68/100

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	-42.0°	281°	Libra	06:51	11:59	17:01	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-35.5°	13°	Leo	01:03	07:53	14:46	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	41.9°	132°	Pisces	16:45	22:51	04:58	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-30.1°	22°	Cancer	00:17	07:19	14:24	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-27.1°	264°	Libra	08:28	13:23	18:14	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	15.8°	75°	Taurus	19:09	02:22	09:40	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	44.3°	142°	Pisces	16:21	22:22	04:22	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

RISES15:52

BEST TIME22:05S · 53° high

SETS04:29

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:03

BEST TIME07:53S · 66° high

SETS14:46

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

RISES16:45

BEST TIME22:51S · 53° high

SETS04:58

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

RISES06:51

BEST TIME11:59S · 33° high

SETS17:01

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

RISES00:17

BEST TIME07:19S · 69° high

SETS14:24

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.