OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

36.20°N, 120.10°WAmerica/Los_Angeles

Daylight+41.0°

11:58:20

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 10m of true darkness · 13h 2m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:14

Civil Dusk18:40

Nautical19:10

Full Dark19:40

Nadir00:44

Dark Ends05:49

Nautical06:19

Civil Dawn06:49

Sunrise07:15

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE-48.3°

DISTANCE379,756 km

Moonrise16:44

Moonset04:32

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/Los_Angeles

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Optimal Visibility	-4.3	35.1°	169°	Libra	07:30	12:37	17:44	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Optimal Visibility	-2.0	39.8°	258°	Leo	01:49	08:35	15:20	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-51.6°	11°	Pisces	17:24	23:29	05:40	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Optimal Visibility	1.0	34.9°	267°	Cancer	01:03	08:01	14:58	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	25.8°	148°	Libra	09:04	14:01	18:59	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-17.5°	315°	Taurus	19:54	03:05	10:12	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-51.6°	23°	Pisces	16:59	23:00	05:04	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

RISES16:44

BEST TIME23:06S · 58° high

SETS04:32

Reaches about 58° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:49

BEST TIME08:35S · 68° high

SETS15:20

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:24

BEST TIME23:29S · 55° high

SETS05:40

Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES07:30

BEST TIME12:37S · 36° high

SETS17:44

Reaches about 36° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:03

BEST TIME08:01S · 72° high

SETS14:58

Reaches about 72° 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.