OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

46.31°N, 0.99°WEurope/Paris

Deep Astronomical Night-18.3° (< −18°)

20:49:12

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 30m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:03

Civil Dusk19:34

Nautical20:09

Full Dark20:44

Nadir01:48

Dark Ends06:52

Nautical07:27

Civil Dawn08:02

Sunrise08:33

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE30.3°

DISTANCE379,791 km

Moonrise17:38

Moonset06:25

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX47% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

75/100

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	-24.1°	269°	Libra	09:00	13:42	18:25	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-27.8°	346°	Leo	02:31	09:39	16:44	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	23.5°	115°	Pisces	18:26	00:34	06:42	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-25.2°	356°	Cancer	01:41	09:05	16:27	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-11.7°	252°	Libra	10:38	15:06	19:35	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	2.7°	62°	Taurus	20:28	04:06	11:47	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	26.6°	122°	Pisces	18:04	00:05	06:05	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

RISES17:38

BEST TIME23:54S · 46° high

SETS06:25

Reaches about 46° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:31

BEST TIME09:39S · 58° high

SETS16:44

Reaches about 58° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:26

BEST TIME00:34S · 45° high

SETS06:42

Reaches about 45° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES09:00

BEST TIME13:42S · 26° high

SETS18:25

Reaches about 26° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:41

BEST TIME09:05S · 62° high

SETS16:27

Reaches about 62° 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.