Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Daylight+45.6°
15:25:34
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM7h 56m of true darkness · 10h 50m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset19:09
Civil Dusk19:34
Nautical20:05
Full Dark20:36
Nadir00:34
Dark Ends04:32
Nautical05:03
Civil Dawn05:34
Sunrise05:59
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION93%
ALTITUDE-16.0°
DISTANCE379,879 km
Moonrise16:43
Moonset04:15
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 | 47.5° | 279° | Libra | 05:38 | 12:28 | 19:17 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -19.8° | 274° | Leo | 02:58 | 08:25 | 13:50 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Below Horizon | 0.3 | -24.6° | 106° | Pisces | 17:22 | 23:20 | 05:22 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -28.7° | 273° | Cancer | 02:34 | 07:51 | 13:06 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Optimal Visibility | 0.4 | 66.2° | 294° | Libra | 06:53 | 13:52 | 20:51 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -76.2° | 147° | Taurus | 21:46 | 02:51 | 08:01 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Below Horizon | 7.8 | -17.4° | 102° | Pisces | 16:48 | 22:51 | 04:57 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES16:43
BEST TIME22:48N · 53° high
SETS04:15
Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · Good height
RISES02:58
BEST TIME08:25N · 43° high
SETS13:50
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
RISES17:22
BEST TIME23:20N · 56° high
SETS05:22
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
RISES05:38
BEST TIME12:28N · 75° high
SETS19:17
Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · Good height
RISES02:34
BEST TIME07:51N · 39° high
SETS13:06
Reaches about 39° 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.
