OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

48.78°N, 1.81°EEurope/Paris

Civil Twilight-1.5° (0° to −6°)

18:56:13

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 7m of true darkness · 13h 38m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:48

Civil Dusk19:20

Nautical19:57

Full Dark20:33

Nadir01:37

Dark Ends06:41

Nautical07:17

Civil Dawn07:54

Sunrise08:26

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE13.8°

DISTANCE380,213 km

Moonrise17:26

Moonset06:15

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX22% · Minimal Lunar Glare

Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

49/100

Fair Stargazing

Partial haze or lunar wash. Bright clusters, double stars, and prominent planets remain well visible.

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	-7.5°	252°	Libra	08:56	13:31	18:07	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-18.0°	321°	Leo	02:14	09:28	16:39	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Rising / Setting	0.3	6.4°	95°	Pisces	18:14	00:23	06:32	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-17.9°	331°	Cancer	01:22	08:53	16:23	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	2.3°	234°	Libra	10:35	14:55	19:15	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-9.0°	42°	Taurus	20:08	03:54	11:45	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Rising / Setting	7.8	9.8°	102°	Pisces	17:53	23:54	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

RISES17:26

BEST TIME23:42S · 43° high

SETS06:15

Reaches about 43° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:14

BEST TIME09:28S · 56° high

SETS16:39

Reaches about 56° 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 · 43° high

SETS06:32

Reaches about 43° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:56

BEST TIME13:31S · 23° high

SETS18:07

Reaches about 23° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:22

BEST TIME08:53S · 59° high

SETS16:23

Reaches about 59° 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.