OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

50.38°N, 3.05°EEurope/Paris

Deep Astronomical Night-20.7° (< −18°)

20:49:06

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 6m of true darkness · 13h 45m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:40

Civil Dusk19:13

Nautical19:51

Full Dark20:29

Nadir01:32

Dark Ends06:35

Nautical07:13

Civil Dawn07:51

Sunrise08:24

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE30.0°

DISTANCE379,791 km

Moonrise17:20

Moonset06:11

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX46% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

76/100

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	-26.7°	274°	Libra	08:57	13:26	17:56	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-24.3°	351°	Leo	02:05	09:23	16:38	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	24.0°	120°	Pisces	18:09	00:18	06:28	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-21.2°	0°	Cancer	01:12	08:47	16:24	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-15.4°	256°	Libra	10:37	14:50	19:04	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	6.8°	65°	Taurus	19:56	03:49	11:47	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	26.4°	128°	Pisces	17:48	23:49	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 · Good height

RISES17:20

BEST TIME23:37S · 42° high

SETS06:11

Reaches about 42° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:05

BEST TIME09:23S · 54° high

SETS16:38

Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES18:09

BEST TIME00:18S · 41° high

SETS06:28

Reaches about 41° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:57

BEST TIME13:26S · 22° high

SETS17:56

Reaches about 22° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:12

BEST TIME08:47S · 57° high

SETS16:24

Reaches about 57° 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.