OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

44.59°N, 3.17°EEurope/Paris

Deep Astronomical Night-25.8° (< −18°)

21:13:58

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 24m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:49

Civil Dusk19:19

Nautical19:53

Full Dark20:27

Nadir01:31

Dark Ends06:36

Nautical07:10

Civil Dawn07:44

Sunrise08:14

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE37.1°

DISTANCE379,698 km

Moonrise17:21

Moonset06:06

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX56% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

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 Europe/Paris

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-31.5°	276°	Libra	08:31	13:26	18:13	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-30.6°	358°	Leo	02:18	09:23	16:24	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	30.7°	123°	Pisces	18:10	00:18	06:25	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-26.8°	7°	Cancer	01:29	08:46	16:05	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-18.3°	259°	Libra	10:15	14:50	19:24	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	8.5°	69°	Taurus	20:18	03:49	11:24	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	33.4°	131°	Pisces	17:47	23:48	05:49	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

RISES17:21

BEST TIME23:37S · 48° high

SETS06:06

Reaches about 48° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:18

BEST TIME09:23S · 60° high

SETS16:24

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

RISES18:10

BEST TIME00:18S · 47° high

SETS06:25

Reaches about 47° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:31

BEST TIME13:26S · 27° high

SETS18:13

Reaches about 27° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:29

BEST TIME08:46S · 63° high

SETS16:05

Reaches about 63° 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.