OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

34.01°N, 6.83°WAfrica/Casablanca

Nautical Twilight-6.9° (−6° to −12°)

18:16:54

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 12h 56m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:43

Civil Dusk18:09

Nautical18:38

Full Dark19:07

Nadir00:11

Dark Ends05:15

Nautical05:45

Civil Dawn06:14

Sunrise06:39

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE26.1°

DISTANCE379,911 km

Moonrise16:03

Moonset04:42

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX41% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

57/100

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	-11.9°	257°	Libra	06:55	12:05	17:16	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-35.1°	328°	Leo	01:18	08:03	14:45	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	16.9°	100°	Pisces	16:52	22:58	05:03	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-35.0°	339°	Cancer	00:34	07:28	14:21	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	2.6°	243°	Libra	08:27	13:29	18:32	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-12.5°	53°	Taurus	19:27	02:29	09:35	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	21.9°	106°	Pisces	16:27	22:28	04:29	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

RISES16:03

BEST TIME22:18S · 59° high

SETS04:42

Reaches about 59° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:18

BEST TIME08:03S · 70° high

SETS14:45

Reaches about 70° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:52

BEST TIME22:58S · 57° high

SETS05:03

Reaches about 57° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:55

BEST TIME12:05S · 38° high

SETS17:16

Reaches about 38° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:34

BEST TIME07:28S · 74° high

SETS14:21

Reaches about 74° 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.