OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

29.14°N, 98.91°WAmerica/Chicago

Daylight+44.8°

11:58:48

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 6m of true darkness · 12h 45m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:57

Civil Dusk19:21

Nautical19:49

Full Dark20:16

Nadir01:20

Dark Ends06:23

Nautical06:50

Civil Dawn07:18

Sunrise07:42

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE-57.8°

DISTANCE380,203 km

Moonrise17:20

Moonset05:03

HorizonBelow

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX0% · Minimal Lunar Glare

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

42/100

Fair Stargazing

Partial haze or lunar wash. Bright clusters, double stars, and prominent planets remain well visible.

CLOUD COVER15%

HUMIDITY50%

VISIBILITY18 km

DEW POINT10.8°C

PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

All times calibrated to America/Chicago

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Optimal Visibility	-4.3	39.6°	157°	Libra	07:53	13:12	18:32	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Optimal Visibility	-2.0	48.5°	258°	Leo	02:35	09:10	15:45	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-59.2°	356°	Pisces	18:00	00:09	06:14	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Optimal Visibility	1.0	42.6°	268°	Cancer	01:52	08:36	15:20	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	27.0°	138°	Libra	09:24	14:37	19:50	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-16.5°	307°	Taurus	20:45	03:40	10:31	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-60.6°	11°	Pisces	17:35	23:35	05:40	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

RISES17:20

BEST TIME23:38S · 65° high

SETS05:03

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:35

BEST TIME09:10S · 75° high

SETS15:45

Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:00

BEST TIME00:09S · 62° high

SETS06:14

Reaches about 62° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES07:53

BEST TIME13:12S · 43° high

SETS18:32

Reaches about 43° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:52

BEST TIME08:36S · 79° high

SETS15:20

Reaches about 79° 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.