OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

41.97°N, 8.89°EEurope/Paris

Deep Astronomical Night-26.1° (< −18°)

20:50:37

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 10m of true darkness · 13h 16m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:30

Civil Dusk18:59

Nautical19:31

Full Dark20:04

Nadir01:09

Dark Ends06:13

Nautical06:46

Civil Dawn07:18

Sunrise07:47

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE38.8°

DISTANCE379,785 km

Moonrise16:58

Moonset05:41

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX58% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

71/100

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	-31.6°	274°	Libra	08:02	13:03	17:57	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-33.2°	358°	Leo	02:01	09:00	15:56	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	32.0°	121°	Pisces	17:48	23:55	06:02	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-29.4°	7°	Cancer	01:13	08:23	15:36	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-17.7°	258°	Libra	09:45	14:27	19:09	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	7.4°	68°	Taurus	20:03	03:26	10:53	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	35.1°	130°	Pisces	17:25	23:25	05:26	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

RISES16:58

BEST TIME23:13S · 50° high

SETS05:41

Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:01

BEST TIME09:00S · 63° high

SETS15:56

Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:48

BEST TIME23:55S · 50° high

SETS06:02

Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:02

BEST TIME13:03S · 30° high

SETS17:57

Reaches about 30° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:13

BEST TIME08:23S · 66° high

SETS15:36

Reaches about 66° 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.