OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

38.52°N, 43.35°EEurope/Istanbul

Deep Astronomical Night-53.6° (< −18°)

22:02:33

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

Sunset17:17

Civil Dusk17:44

Nautical18:15

Full Dark18:46

Nadir23:51

Dark Ends04:55

Nautical05:26

Civil Dawn05:57

Sunrise06:24

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE53.1°

DISTANCE379,741 km

Moonrise15:38

Moonset04:14

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX74% · 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	-59.7°	306°	Libra	06:37	11:46	16:47	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-27.1°	39°	Leo	00:50	07:39	14:32	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	52.0°	165°	Pisces	16:31	22:38	04:44	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-19.7°	45°	Cancer	00:04	07:06	14:10	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-46.2°	280°	Libra	08:14	13:09	18:01	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	34.6°	90°	Taurus	18:56	02:09	09:22	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	51.1°	178°	Pisces	16:07	22:08	04:08	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

RISES15:38

BEST TIME21:51S · 53° high

SETS04:14

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:50

BEST TIME07:39S · 66° high

SETS14:32

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

RISES16:31

BEST TIME22:38S · 53° high

SETS04:44

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

RISES06:37

BEST TIME11:46S · 33° high

SETS16:47

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

RISES00:04

BEST TIME07:06S · 69° high

SETS14:10

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.