OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

50.92°N, 1.83°EEurope/Paris

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

20:19:41

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 6m of true darkness · 13h 47m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:44

Civil Dusk19:17

Nautical19:56

Full Dark20:34

Nadir01:37

Dark Ends06:40

Nautical07:18

Civil Dawn07:56

Sunrise08:30

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE25.2°

DISTANCE379,901 km

Moonrise17:25

Moonset06:17

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	-21.2°	268°	Libra	09:03	13:31	18:00	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-22.6°	342°	Leo	02:08	09:28	16:45	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	18.9°	112°	Pisces	18:14	00:23	06:33	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-20.3°	352°	Cancer	01:15	08:53	16:31	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-10.3°	250°	Libra	10:44	14:55	19:06	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	2.4°	59°	Taurus	19:59	03:54	11:54	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	21.6°	120°	Pisces	17:53	23:53	05:54	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

RISES17:25

BEST TIME23:42S · 41° high

SETS06:17

Reaches about 41° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:08

BEST TIME09:28S · 54° high

SETS16:45

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

RISES18:14

BEST TIME00:23S · 41° high

SETS06:33

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

RISES09:03

BEST TIME13:31S · 21° high

SETS18:00

Reaches about 21° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:15

BEST TIME08:53S · 57° high

SETS16:31

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.