OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

36.98°N, 38.43°EEurope/Istanbul

Deep Astronomical Night-19.2° (< −18°)

19:14:43

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 3m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:39

Civil Dusk18:05

Nautical18:36

Full Dark19:06

Nadir00:10

Dark Ends05:15

Nautical05:45

Civil Dawn06:15

Sunrise06:42

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE36.2°

DISTANCE380,369 km

Moonrise15:59

Moonset04:34

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX54% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

73/100

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	-24.2°	265°	Libra	06:53	12:05	17:10	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-37.1°	346°	Leo	01:12	08:02	14:49	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	27.6°	111°	Pisces	16:51	22:57	05:03	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-34.7°	356°	Cancer	00:27	07:27	14:26	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-9.2°	251°	Libra	08:33	13:29	18:24	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-0.8°	62°	Taurus	19:19	02:28	09:42	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	31.7°	118°	Pisces	16:27	22:27	04:28	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

RISES15:59

BEST TIME22:11S · 55° high

SETS04:34

Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:12

BEST TIME08:02S · 67° high

SETS14:49

Reaches about 67° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:51

BEST TIME22:57S · 54° high

SETS05:03

Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:53

BEST TIME12:05S · 35° high

SETS17:10

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

RISES00:27

BEST TIME07:27S · 71° high

SETS14:26

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.