OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

46.74°N, 1.61°WEurope/Paris

Astronomical Twilight-15.2° (−12° to −18°)

20:33:24

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 13h 31m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:05

Civil Dusk19:36

Nautical20:11

Full Dark20:46

Nadir01:51

Dark Ends06:55

Nautical07:30

Civil Dawn08:05

Sunrise08:36

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE27.4°

DISTANCE379,850 km

Moonrise17:40

Moonset06:28

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX43% · Moderate Lunar Glow

Milky Way contrast is softened. Bright open clusters and double stars are optimal.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

67/100

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 Europe/Paris

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-21.0°	266°	Libra	09:04	13:45	18:26	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-26.6°	342°	Leo	02:33	09:42	16:48	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	20.4°	111°	Pisces	18:29	00:37	06:45	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-24.5°	351°	Cancer	01:42	09:07	16:31	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-8.8°	249°	Libra	10:41	15:09	19:36	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	0.4°	58°	Taurus	20:29	04:08	11:51	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	23.7°	118°	Pisces	18:07	00:07	06:08	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

RISES17:40

BEST TIME23:56S · 46° high

SETS06:28

Reaches about 46° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:33

BEST TIME09:42S · 58° high

SETS16:48

Reaches about 58° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES18:29

BEST TIME00:37S · 45° high

SETS06:45

Reaches about 45° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES09:04

BEST TIME13:45S · 25° high

SETS18:26

Reaches about 25° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:42

BEST TIME09:07S · 61° high

SETS16:31

Reaches about 61° 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.