OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

53.38°N, 1.01°WEurope/London

Astronomical Twilight-15.9° (−12° to −18°)

19:36:33

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 4m of true darkness · 13h 57m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:50

Civil Dusk18:26

Nautical19:06

Full Dark19:46

Nadir00:48

Dark Ends05:50

Nautical06:30

Civil Dawn07:11

Sunrise07:47

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE24.6°

DISTANCE379,838 km

Moonrise16:36

Moonset05:31

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX39% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

68/100

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/London

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-22.1°	270°	Libra	08:24	12:42	17:02	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-20.4°	344°	Leo	01:12	08:40	16:04	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	18.7°	114°	Pisces	17:24	23:34	05:45	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-18.0°	353°	Cancer	00:16	08:05	15:52	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-11.9°	252°	Libra	10:06	14:06	18:06	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	4.3°	60°	Taurus	18:58	03:06	11:17	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	21.1°	122°	Pisces	17:04	23:05	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 · Good height

RISES16:36

BEST TIME22:54S · 39° high

SETS05:31

Reaches about 39° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:12

BEST TIME08:40S · 51° high

SETS16:04

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES17:24

BEST TIME23:34S · 38° high

SETS05:45

Reaches about 38° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Low in the sky

RISES08:24

BEST TIME12:42S · 19° high

SETS17:02

Only reaches about 19° above the horizon. An open view is important.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:16

BEST TIME08:05S · 55° high

SETS15:52

Reaches about 55° 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.