OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

34.98°N, 3.39°WAfrica/Casablanca

Nautical Twilight-10.5° (−6° to −12°)

18:19:35

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 12h 58m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:29

Civil Dusk17:54

Nautical18:24

Full Dark18:53

Nadir23:58

Dark Ends05:02

Nautical05:31

Civil Dawn06:01

Sunrise06:27

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE29.0°

DISTANCE379,901 km

Moonrise15:49

Moonset04:28

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

56/100

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 Africa/Casablanca

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-15.4°	259°	Libra	06:43	11:52	17:01	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-36.0°	333°	Leo	01:02	07:49	14:32	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	20.0°	103°	Pisces	16:38	22:44	04:50	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-35.2°	344°	Cancer	00:18	07:14	14:09	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-0.5°	245°	Libra	08:16	13:16	18:16	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-9.2°	56°	Taurus	19:11	02:15	09:23	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	24.8°	109°	Pisces	16:14	22:14	04:15	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

RISES15:49

BEST TIME22:04S · 58° high

SETS04:28

Reaches about 58° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:02

BEST TIME07:49S · 69° high

SETS14:32

Reaches about 69° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:38

BEST TIME22:44S · 56° high

SETS04:50

Reaches about 56° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:43

BEST TIME11:52S · 37° high

SETS17:01

Reaches about 37° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:18

BEST TIME07:14S · 73° high

SETS14:09

Reaches about 73° 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.