OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

18.69°N, 12.92°EAfrica/Niamey

Daylight+9.0°

16:58:10

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 58m of true darkness · 12h 25m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:40

Civil Dusk18:02

Nautical18:28

Full Dark18:53

Nadir23:52

Dark Ends04:51

Nautical05:17

Civil Dawn05:42

Sunrise06:05

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE16.2°

DISTANCE380,431 km

Moonrise15:44

Moonset04:13

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX26% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

33/100

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/Niamey

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Rising / Setting	-4.3	5.2°	249°	Libra	06:11	11:47	17:23	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-37.2°	306°	Leo	01:19	07:44	14:05	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Rising / Setting	0.3	4.8°	90°	Pisces	16:36	22:39	04:42	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-41.0°	317°	Cancer	00:40	07:09	13:36	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	21.7°	237°	Libra	07:39	13:11	18:43	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-32.8°	48°	Taurus	19:39	02:10	08:45	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	11.2°	94°	Pisces	16:08	22:09	04:10	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

RISES15:44

BEST TIME21:57S · 74° high

SETS04:13

Reaches about 74° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:19

BEST TIME07:44S · 86° high

SETS14:05

Reaches about 86° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:36

BEST TIME22:39S · 73° high

SETS04:42

Reaches about 73° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:11

BEST TIME11:47S · 53° high

SETS17:23

Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:40

BEST TIME07:09S · 89° high

SETS13:36

Reaches about 89° 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.