OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

49.13°N, 0.30°WEurope/Paris

Deep Astronomical Night-18.8° (< −18°)

20:50:16

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 7m of true darkness · 13h 40m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:56

Civil Dusk19:28

Nautical20:05

Full Dark20:42

Nadir01:45

Dark Ends06:49

Nautical07:26

Civil Dawn08:03

Sunrise08:35

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE29.2°

DISTANCE379,787 km

Moonrise17:34

Moonset06:24

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX45% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

76/100

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	-24.7°	271°	Libra	09:06	13:39	18:14	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-25.2°	348°	Leo	02:22	09:37	16:48	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	22.9°	116°	Pisces	18:23	00:32	06:40	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-22.4°	357°	Cancer	01:29	09:02	16:33	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-13.1°	254°	Libra	10:45	15:03	19:22	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	4.5°	63°	Taurus	20:15	04:03	11:55	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	25.6°	124°	Pisces	18:01	00:02	06:03	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

RISES17:34

BEST TIME23:51S · 43° high

SETS06:24

Reaches about 43° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:22

BEST TIME09:37S · 55° high

SETS16:48

Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES18:23

BEST TIME00:32S · 42° high

SETS06:40

Reaches about 42° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES09:06

BEST TIME13:39S · 23° high

SETS18:14

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

RISES01:29

BEST TIME09:02S · 59° high

SETS16:33

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.