OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

49.70°N, 4.77°EEurope/Paris

Astronomical Twilight-14.5° (−12° to −18°)

20:04:03

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 7m of true darkness · 13h 42m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:34

Civil Dusk19:07

Nautical19:45

Full Dark20:22

Nadir01:25

Dark Ends06:28

Nautical07:06

Civil Dawn07:43

Sunrise08:16

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE25.4°

DISTANCE379,959 km

Moonrise17:14

Moonset06:03

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX40% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

68/100

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	-20.5°	267°	Libra	08:47	13:19	17:52	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-23.5°	341°	Leo	02:00	09:16	16:30	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	18.8°	111°	Pisces	18:02	00:11	06:20	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-21.4°	350°	Cancer	01:07	08:42	16:15	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-9.2°	249°	Libra	10:27	14:43	18:59	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	1.3°	58°	Taurus	19:52	03:43	11:37	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	21.7°	119°	Pisces	17:41	23:42	05:42	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

RISES17:14

BEST TIME23:30S · 43° high

SETS06:03

Reaches about 43° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:00

BEST TIME09:16S · 55° high

SETS16:30

Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES18:02

BEST TIME00:11S · 42° high

SETS06:20

Reaches about 42° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:47

BEST TIME13:19S · 22° high

SETS17:52

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

RISES01:07

BEST TIME08:42S · 58° high

SETS16:15

Reaches about 58° 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.