OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

49.63°N, 25.33°EEurope/Kyiv
Deep Astronomical Night-36.5° (< −18°)
22:02:06
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 7m of true darkness · 13h 41m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:12
Civil Dusk18:45
Nautical19:22
Full Dark19:59
Nadir01:03
Dark Ends06:06
Nautical06:43
Civil Dawn07:21
Sunrise07:54
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
SunsetSunrise
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry
30° ALT60° ALTZENITHNESW Polaris Vega Capella Altair Aldebaran Deneb Saturn (0.3) Uranus (5.6) Neptune (7.8) Moon (93%)
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION93%
ALTITUDE40.1°
DISTANCE379,742 km
Moonrise16:51
Moonset05:36
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX60% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
71/100
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

PLANETSTATUSMAGNITUDEALTITUDEAZIMUTHCONSTELLATIONRISETRANSITSETEQUIPMENT
Venus♀ Below Horizon -4.3-42.7°297°Libra08:1712:5717:30Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Below Horizon -2.0-23.7°18°Leo01:3808:5116:08Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Optimal Visibility 0.336.6°146°Pisces17:4023:4905:58Naked Eye
Mars♂ Below Horizon 1.0-18.2°26°Cancer00:4508:1815:52Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Below Horizon 0.4-31.7°275°Libra10:0514:2118:38Binoculars
Uranus♅ Visible Low 5.622.3°83°Taurus19:3103:2111:15Binoculars
Neptune♆ Optimal Visibility 7.837.3°155°Pisces17:1923:2005:20Telescope
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 · Good height
RISES16:51
BEST TIME23:05S · 42° high
SETS05:36
Reaches about 42° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:38
BEST TIME08:51S · 55° high
SETS16:08
Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · Good height
RISES17:40
BEST TIME23:49S · 42° high
SETS05:58
Reaches about 42° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Good height
RISES08:17
BEST TIME12:57S · 22° high
SETS17:30
Reaches about 22° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES00:45
BEST TIME08:18S · 58° high
SETS15:52
Reaches about 58° 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

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.