OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

16.07°S, 167.40°EPacific/Efate

Nautical Twilight-9.6° (−6° to −12°)

04:37:37

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 58m of true darkness · 11h 26m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:51

Civil Dusk18:13

Nautical18:39

Full Dark19:05

Nadir23:34

Dark Ends04:03

Nautical04:29

Civil Dawn04:55

Sunrise05:17

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-16.4°

DISTANCE380,058 km

Moonrise16:00

Moonset03:28

HorizonBelow

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX0% · Minimal Lunar Glare

Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

72/100

Good Stargazing

Fine observing conditions. Open star clusters and nebulae will exhibit crisp structure.

CLOUD COVER15%

HUMIDITY50%

VISIBILITY18 km

DEW POINT10.8°C

PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

All times calibrated to Pacific/Efate

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-5.9°	111°	Libra	05:03	11:25	17:54	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Optimal Visibility	-2.0	38.7°	56°	Leo	01:39	07:24	13:09	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-3.5°	270°	Pisces	16:19	22:23	04:22	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Optimal Visibility	1.0	42.8°	45°	Cancer	01:09	06:50	12:31	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-23.0°	122°	Libra	06:24	12:51	19:21	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	35.4°	311°	Taurus	20:18	01:54	07:30	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-10.2°	266°	Pisces	15:47	21:53	03:55	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

RISES16:00

BEST TIME21:19N · 74° high

SETS03:28

Reaches about 74° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:39

BEST TIME07:24N · 60° high

SETS13:09

Reaches about 60° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:19

BEST TIME22:23N · 73° high

SETS04:22

Reaches about 73° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:03

BEST TIME11:25S · 88° high

SETS17:54

Reaches about 88° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:09

BEST TIME06:50N · 56° high

SETS12:31

Reaches about 56° 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.