OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

47.74°N, 5.09°EEurope/Paris

Deep Astronomical Night-24.7° (< −18°)

21:03:11

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 13h 35m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:37

Civil Dusk19:08

Nautical19:44

Full Dark20:20

Nadir01:24

Dark Ends06:28

Nautical07:03

Civil Dawn07:40

Sunrise08:11

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE34.5°

DISTANCE379,738 km

Moonrise17:13

Moonset06:00

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX53% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

73/100

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	-30.6°	277°	Libra	08:32	13:18	17:57	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-27.4°	357°	Leo	02:04	09:15	16:23	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	28.5°	124°	Pisces	18:02	00:10	06:19	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-23.7°	6°	Cancer	01:12	08:39	16:07	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-18.4°	259°	Libra	10:18	14:42	19:06	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	9.1°	69°	Taurus	19:59	03:41	11:28	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	30.9°	132°	Pisces	17:40	23:40	05:41	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

RISES17:13

BEST TIME23:29S · 44° high

SETS06:00

Reaches about 44° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:04

BEST TIME09:15S · 57° high

SETS16:23

Reaches about 57° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES18:02

BEST TIME00:10S · 44° high

SETS06:19

Reaches about 44° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:32

BEST TIME13:18S · 24° high

SETS17:57

Reaches about 24° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:12

BEST TIME08:39S · 60° high

SETS16:07

Reaches about 60° 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.