OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

44.29°N, 4.93°EEurope/Paris

Civil Twilight-2.7° (0° to −6°)

18:57:57

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 23m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:43

Civil Dusk19:12

Nautical19:46

Full Dark20:20

Nadir01:24

Dark Ends06:29

Nautical07:03

Civil Dawn07:36

Sunrise08:06

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE17.4°

DISTANCE380,207 km

Moonrise17:14

Moonset05:59

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX28% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

47/100

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	-8.5°	254°	Libra	08:31	13:19	18:07	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-23.1°	324°	Leo	02:12	09:16	16:16	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Rising / Setting	0.3	9.3°	97°	Pisces	18:03	00:11	06:18	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-23.1°	333°	Cancer	01:23	08:41	15:57	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	2.8°	237°	Libra	10:07	14:43	19:18	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-10.6°	45°	Taurus	20:12	03:42	11:16	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	13.2°	104°	Pisces	17:40	23:41	05:42	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

RISES17:14

BEST TIME23:29S · 48° high

SETS05:59

Reaches about 48° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:12

BEST TIME09:16S · 60° high

SETS16:16

Reaches about 60° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:03

BEST TIME00:11S · 47° high

SETS06:18

Reaches about 47° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:31

BEST TIME13:19S · 28° high

SETS18:07

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

RISES01:23

BEST TIME08:41S · 64° high

SETS15:57

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.