OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

43.32°N, 6.29°EEurope/Paris

Deep Astronomical Night-21.4° (< −18°)

20:36:12

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 20m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:39

Civil Dusk19:08

Nautical19:41

Full Dark20:14

Nadir01:19

Dark Ends06:24

Nautical06:57

Civil Dawn07:30

Sunrise07:59

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE34.4°

DISTANCE379,839 km

Moonrise17:09

Moonset05:52

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX52% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

74/100

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	-27.0°	271°	Libra	08:15	13:13	18:04	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-31.4°	351°	Leo	02:09	09:10	16:09	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	27.4°	117°	Pisces	17:58	00:05	06:13	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-28.3°	0°	Cancer	01:20	08:34	15:49	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-13.5°	254°	Libra	09:59	14:37	19:15	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	3.9°	64°	Taurus	20:09	03:37	11:08	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	30.6°	125°	Pisces	17:35	23:36	05:36	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

RISES17:09

BEST TIME23:24S · 49° high

SETS05:52

Reaches about 49° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:09

BEST TIME09:10S · 61° high

SETS16:09

Reaches about 61° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:58

BEST TIME00:05S · 48° high

SETS06:13

Reaches about 48° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:15

BEST TIME13:13S · 29° high

SETS18:04

Reaches about 29° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:20

BEST TIME08:34S · 65° high

SETS15:49

Reaches about 65° 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.