OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

39.03°N, 29.22°EEurope/Istanbul

Astronomical Twilight-17.0° (−12° to −18°)

19:40:16

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 8m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:13

Civil Dusk18:40

Nautical19:12

Full Dark19:42

Nadir00:47

Dark Ends05:52

Nautical06:23

Civil Dawn06:54

Sunrise07:21

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE33.1°

DISTANCE380,273 km

Moonrise16:36

Moonset05:14

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX50% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

64/100

Fair Stargazing

Partial haze or lunar wash. Bright clusters, double stars, and prominent planets remain well visible.

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	-22.2°	265°	Libra	07:42	12:42	17:43	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-34.5°	343°	Leo	01:45	08:39	15:29	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	24.8°	110°	Pisces	17:27	23:34	05:40	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-32.4°	353°	Cancer	00:59	08:04	15:07	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-7.8°	250°	Libra	09:15	14:06	18:56	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-1.8°	60°	Taurus	19:51	03:05	10:24	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	28.8°	117°	Pisces	17:04	23:04	05:05	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

RISES16:36

BEST TIME22:49S · 53° high

SETS05:14

Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:45

BEST TIME08:39S · 65° high

SETS15:29

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

RISES17:27

BEST TIME23:34S · 52° high

SETS05:40

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

RISES07:42

BEST TIME12:42S · 33° high

SETS17:43

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

RISES00:59

BEST TIME08:04S · 69° high

SETS15:07

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.