OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

54.54°N, 1.93°WEurope/London
Daylight+3.8°
17:18:14
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 2m of true darkness · 14h 3m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset17:51
Civil Dusk18:28
Nautical19:09
Full Dark19:51
Nadir00:52
Dark Ends05:53
Nautical06:35
Civil Dawn07:16
Sunrise07:53
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 Arcturus Capella Altair Spica Antares Deneb Mercury (0.4) Neptune (7.8) Moon (92%)
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE4.9°
DISTANCE380,355 km
Moonrise16:39
Moonset05:36
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX8% · Minimal Lunar Glare

Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
39/100
Challenging Stargazing

High cloud cover or severe light interference. Recommend bright planetary observation or indoor planning.

CLOUD COVER15%
HUMIDITY50%
VISIBILITY18 km
DEW POINT10.8°C
PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

PLANETSTATUSMAGNITUDEALTITUDEAZIMUTHCONSTELLATIONRISETRANSITSETEQUIPMENT
Venus♀ Below Horizon -4.3-2.1°242°Libra08:3212:4617:01Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Below Horizon -2.0-8.1°310°Leo01:1208:4316:11Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Below Horizon 0.3-1.3°85°Pisces17:2723:3805:53Naked Eye
Mars♂ Below Horizon 1.0-8.4°319°Cancer00:1508:0816:00Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Rising / Setting 0.44.6°223°Libra10:1614:1018:04Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-9.2°30°Taurus18:5503:0911:27Binoculars
Neptune♆ Rising / Setting 7.81.3°92°Pisces17:0823:0805:09Telescope
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
RISES16:39
BEST TIME22:58S · 38° high
SETS05:36
Reaches about 38° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:12
BEST TIME08:43S · 50° high
SETS16:11
Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · Good height
RISES17:27
BEST TIME23:38S · 37° high
SETS05:53
Reaches about 37° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Low in the sky
RISES08:32
BEST TIME12:46S · 17° high
SETS17:01
Only reaches about 17° above the horizon. An open view is important.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES00:15
BEST TIME08:08S · 53° high
SETS16:00
Reaches about 53° 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.