OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

39.89°N, 38.77°EEurope/Istanbul

Deep Astronomical Night-51.0° (< −18°)

22:09:26

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 10m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:34

Civil Dusk18:01

Nautical18:33

Full Dark19:04

Nadir00:09

Dark Ends05:14

Nautical05:45

Civil Dawn06:17

Sunrise06:44

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE51.8°

DISTANCE379,715 km

Moonrise15:57

Moonset04:34

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX73% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

66/100

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	-57.1°	304°	Libra	06:58	12:04	17:03	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-27.4°	36°	Leo	01:06	07:57	14:53	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	50.1°	162°	Pisces	16:49	22:56	05:02	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-20.2°	42°	Cancer	00:19	07:24	14:31	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-43.8°	279°	Libra	08:36	13:28	18:16	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	32.4°	89°	Taurus	19:10	02:27	09:44	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	49.5°	173°	Pisces	16:25	22:26	04:27	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 TIME22:10S · 52° high

SETS04:34

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:06

BEST TIME07:57S · 65° high

SETS14:53

Reaches about 65° 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 TIME22:56S · 52° high

SETS05:02

Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:58

BEST TIME12:04S · 32° high

SETS17:03

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

RISES00:19

BEST TIME07:24S · 68° high

SETS14:31

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.