OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

26.09°N, 97.96°WAmerica/Chicago

Daylight+45.5°

11:38:18

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 4m of true darkness · 12h 39m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:56

Civil Dusk19:20

Nautical19:47

Full Dark20:13

Nadir01:16

Dark Ends06:18

Nautical06:45

Civil Dawn07:12

Sunrise07:35

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-61.8°

DISTANCE380,280 km

Moonrise17:17

Moonset04:59

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	40.7°	151°	Libra	07:44	13:08	18:33	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Optimal Visibility	-2.0	52.7°	259°	Leo	02:36	09:06	15:37	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-61.6°	346°	Pisces	17:57	00:05	06:10	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Optimal Visibility	1.0	46.4°	269°	Cancer	01:53	08:32	15:11	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	26.6°	134°	Libra	09:14	14:33	19:52	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-15.2°	303°	Taurus	20:47	03:36	10:21	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-64.1°	2°	Pisces	17:31	23:31	05:36	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

RISES17:17

BEST TIME23:34S · 68° high

SETS04:59

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:36

BEST TIME09:06S · 78° high

SETS15:37

Reaches about 78° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:57

BEST TIME00:05S · 65° high

SETS06:10

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES07:44

BEST TIME13:08S · 46° high

SETS18:33

Reaches about 46° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:53

BEST TIME08:32S · 82° high

SETS15:11

Reaches about 82° 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.