OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

15.42°N, 6.17°EAfrica/Niamey

Astronomical Twilight-13.9° (−12° to −18°)

19:07:37

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 54m of true darkness · 12h 19m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:10

Civil Dusk18:32

Nautical18:57

Full Dark19:22

Nadir00:19

Dark Ends05:16

Nautical05:42

Civil Dawn06:07

Sunrise06:29

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE40.3°

DISTANCE379,946 km

Moonrise16:12

Moonset04:40

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX60% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

61/100

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/Niamey

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-17.0°	256°	Libra	06:27	12:14	17:54	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-56.2°	332°	Leo	01:50	08:11	14:29	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	29.4°	97°	Pisces	17:03	23:06	05:09	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-55.7°	348°	Cancer	01:12	07:36	13:59	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	1.6°	248°	Libra	08:00	13:38	19:15	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-14.1°	63°	Taurus	20:11	02:37	09:07	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	35.9°	102°	Pisces	16:35	22:36	04:37	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

RISES16:12

BEST TIME22:24S · 77° high

SETS04:40

Reaches about 77° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:50

BEST TIME08:11S · 89° high

SETS14:29

Reaches about 89° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:03

BEST TIME23:06S · 76° high

SETS05:09

Reaches about 76° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:27

BEST TIME12:14S · 57° high

SETS17:54

Reaches about 57° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:12

BEST TIME07:36N · 88° high

SETS13:59

Reaches about 88° 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.