Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Daylight+67.0°
13:17:04
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 1m of true darkness · 10h 53m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset19:01
Civil Dusk19:27
Nautical19:57
Full Dark20:28
Nadir00:28
Dark Ends04:28
Nautical04:59
Civil Dawn05:29
Sunrise05:55
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE-39.8°
DISTANCE380,360 km
Moonrise16:37
Moonset04:09
HorizonBelow
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX0% · Minimal Lunar Glare
ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
42/100
Partial haze or lunar wash. Bright clusters, double stars, and prominent planets remain well visible.
CLOUD COVER15%
HUMIDITY50%
VISIBILITY18 km
DEW POINT10.8°C
| PLANET | STATUS | MAGNITUDE | ALTITUDE | AZIMUTH | CONSTELLATION | RISE | TRANSIT | SET | EQUIPMENT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venus♀ | Optimal Visibility | -4.3 | 71.5° | 314° | Libra | 05:34 | 12:22 | 19:09 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Rising / Setting | -2.0 | 5.3° | 290° | Leo | 02:54 | 08:19 | 13:45 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Below Horizon | 0.3 | -48.2° | 131° | Pisces | 17:16 | 23:14 | 05:17 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -3.0° | 289° | Cancer | 02:29 | 07:45 | 13:01 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Optimal Visibility | 0.4 | 77.4° | 34° | Libra | 06:50 | 13:46 | 20:43 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -66.8° | 248° | Taurus | 21:38 | 02:50 | 07:57 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Below Horizon | 7.8 | -41.8° | 125° | Pisces | 16:42 | 22:45 | 04:51 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES16:37
BEST TIME22:41N · 54° high
SETS04:09
Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · Good height
RISES02:54
BEST TIME08:19N · 44° high
SETS13:45
Reaches about 44° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES17:16
BEST TIME23:14N · 57° high
SETS05:17
Reaches about 57° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES05:34
BEST TIME12:22N · 76° high
SETS19:09
Reaches about 76° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · Good height
RISES02:29
BEST TIME07:45N · 40° high
SETS13:01
Reaches about 40° above the horizon at its highest point.Distinctive crimson hue; polar ice cap discernible near opposition.
M31 / NGC 224 · Andromeda
Spiral Galaxy (2.5M ly)Andromeda Galaxy
Our galactic neighbor; visible as a ghostly oval smudge with dense radiant stellar core.
M45 · Taurus
Open Star ClusterThe Pleiades (Seven Sisters)
Breathtaking blue diamond cluster enshrouded in delicate interstellar reflection nebulosity.
M42 / NGC 1976 · Orion
Diffuse Emission NebulaGreat Orion Nebula
Star nursery harboring the brilliant Trapezium cluster with sprawling bat-wing filaments.
NGC 869 & NGC 884 · Perseus
Twin Open ClustersThe Double Cluster
Pair of spectacular shimmering jewel-boxes bursting with ruby supergiant stars.
M13 / NGC 6205 · Hercules
Globular Cluster (300k stars)Great Globular Cluster in Hercules
Massive beehive of ancient stars packed tightly together into a blazing central ball.
M57 / NGC 6720 · Lyra
Planetary NebulaThe Ring Nebula
Delicate glowing smoke-ring left behind by a dying star 2,500 light-years away.
