OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

38.20°N, 38.87°EEurope/Istanbul

Deep Astronomical Night-39.3° (< −18°)

20:56:21

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 6m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:36

Civil Dusk18:03

Nautical18:33

Full Dark19:04

Nadir00:09

Dark Ends05:13

Nautical05:44

Civil Dawn06:15

Sunrise06:41

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE49.6°

DISTANCE379,988 km

Moonrise15:57

Moonset04:33

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX71% · 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	-44.7°	283°	Libra	06:54	12:03	17:06	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-35.3°	17°	Leo	01:08	07:57	14:49	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	44.1°	136°	Pisces	16:49	22:55	05:02	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-29.5°	25°	Cancer	00:22	07:24	14:27	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-29.7°	266°	Libra	08:31	13:27	18:20	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	18.2°	77°	Taurus	19:14	02:27	09:43	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	46.2°	146°	Pisces	16:25	22:26	04:26	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

RISES15:57

BEST TIME22:09S · 54° high

SETS04:33

Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:08

BEST TIME07:57S · 66° high

SETS14:49

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

RISES16:49

BEST TIME22:55S · 53° high

SETS05:02

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

RISES06:54

BEST TIME12:03S · 34° high

SETS17:06

Reaches about 34° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:22

BEST TIME07:24S · 70° high

SETS14:27

Reaches about 70° 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.