OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

43.51°N, 3.80°EEurope/Paris

Deep Astronomical Night-25.6° (< −18°)

21:09:20

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 21m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:49

Civil Dusk19:18

Nautical19:51

Full Dark20:24

Nadir01:29

Dark Ends06:34

Nautical07:07

Civil Dawn07:40

Sunrise08:09

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE37.5°

DISTANCE379,715 km

Moonrise17:19

Moonset06:03

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX57% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

72/100

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	-31.2°	275°	Libra	08:26	13:23	18:13	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-31.6°	357°	Leo	02:18	09:20	16:19	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	30.9°	122°	Pisces	18:08	00:15	06:23	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-27.9°	7°	Cancer	01:30	08:44	16:00	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-17.7°	258°	Libra	10:09	14:47	19:25	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	7.7°	68°	Taurus	20:19	03:46	11:18	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	33.8°	130°	Pisces	17:45	23:46	05:46	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

RISES17:19

BEST TIME23:34S · 49° high

SETS06:03

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:18

BEST TIME09:20S · 61° high

SETS16:19

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

RISES18:08

BEST TIME00:15S · 48° high

SETS06:23

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

RISES08:26

BEST TIME13:23S · 28° high

SETS18:13

Reaches about 28° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:30

BEST TIME08:44S · 64° high

SETS16:00

Reaches about 64° 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.