Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Daylight+41.8°
15:31:33
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM7h 57m of true darkness · 10h 51m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:55
Civil Dusk19:20
Nautical19:51
Full Dark20:22
Nadir00:21
Dark Ends04:19
Nautical04:50
Civil Dawn05:21
Sunrise05:46
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION93%
ALTITUDE-12.0°
DISTANCE379,856 km
Moonrise16:29
Moonset04:02
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 | 43.5° | 276° | Libra | 05:25 | 12:14 | 19:03 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -23.9° | 272° | Leo | 02:44 | 08:12 | 13:37 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Below Horizon | 0.3 | -20.6° | 102° | Pisces | 17:09 | 23:07 | 05:09 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -32.9° | 271° | Cancer | 02:20 | 07:37 | 12:53 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Optimal Visibility | 0.4 | 62.5° | 287° | Libra | 06:41 | 13:39 | 20:37 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -73.8° | 132° | Taurus | 21:32 | 02:38 | 07:48 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Below Horizon | 7.8 | -13.4° | 100° | Pisces | 16:34 | 22:37 | 04:44 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES16:29
BEST TIME22:34N · 53° high
SETS04:02
Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · Good height
RISES02:44
BEST TIME08:12N · 43° high
SETS13:37
Reaches about 43° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES17:09
BEST TIME23:07N · 56° high
SETS05:09
Reaches about 56° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES05:25
BEST TIME12:14N · 76° high
SETS19:03
Reaches about 76° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · Good height
RISES02:20
BEST TIME07:37N · 40° high
SETS12:53
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.
