OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

31.44°N, 4.23°WAfrica/Casablanca

Daylight+3.0°

17:19:08

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 7m of true darkness · 12h 50m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:36

Civil Dusk18:01

Nautical18:29

Full Dark18:57

Nadir00:01

Dark Ends05:04

Nautical05:33

Civil Dawn06:01

Sunrise06:26

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE17.1°

DISTANCE380,127 km

Moonrise15:53

Moonset04:30

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX27% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

32/100

Challenging Stargazing

High cloud cover or severe light interference. Recommend bright planetary observation or indoor planning.

CLOUD COVER15%

HUMIDITY50%

VISIBILITY18 km

DEW POINT10.8°C

PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

All times calibrated to Africa/Casablanca

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-1.5°	250°	Libra	06:40	11:55	17:11	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-30.9°	316°	Leo	01:11	07:52	14:30	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Rising / Setting	0.3	7.3°	93°	Pisces	16:42	22:47	04:52	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-32.7°	326°	Cancer	00:28	07:18	14:06	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	12.3°	236°	Libra	08:11	13:19	18:27	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-21.8°	45°	Taurus	19:23	02:19	09:19	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	12.7°	98°	Pisces	16:17	22:18	04:18	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

RISES15:53

BEST TIME22:07S · 61° high

SETS04:30

Reaches about 61° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:11

BEST TIME07:52S · 73° high

SETS14:30

Reaches about 73° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:42

BEST TIME22:47S · 60° high

SETS04:52

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

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:40

BEST TIME11:55S · 41° high

SETS17:11

Reaches about 41° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:28

BEST TIME07:18S · 77° high

SETS14:06

Reaches about 77° 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.