OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

14.51°N, 6.76°EAfrica/Niamey

Deep Astronomical Night-28.6° (< −18°)

20:06:25

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 53m of true darkness · 12h 17m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:08

Civil Dusk18:30

Nautical18:55

Full Dark19:20

Nadir00:17

Dark Ends05:14

Nautical05:39

Civil Dawn06:04

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%

ALTITUDE54.7°

DISTANCE379,726 km

Moonrise16:10

Moonset04:38

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX76% · Heavy Lunar Wash

Bright moonlight washes out deep sky targets. Focus on lunar craters and bright planets.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

65/100

Good Stargazing

Fine observing conditions. Open star clusters and nebulae will exhibit crisp structure.

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	-31.3°	258°	Libra	06:23	12:11	17:53	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-60.9°	360°	Leo	01:48	08:09	14:25	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	44.2°	102°	Pisces	17:01	23:03	05:06	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-56.3°	14°	Cancer	01:11	07:32	13:55	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-11.8°	251°	Libra	07:53	13:35	19:14	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-0.9°	68°	Taurus	20:10	02:35	09:03	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	50.4°	109°	Pisces	16:33	22:34	04:35	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

RISES16:10

BEST TIME22:22S · 78° high

SETS04:38

Reaches about 78° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:48

BEST TIME08:09S · 90° high

SETS14:25

Reaches about 90° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:01

BEST TIME23:03S · 77° high

SETS05:06

Reaches about 77° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:23

BEST TIME12:11S · 57° high

SETS17:53

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

RISES01:11

BEST TIME07:32N · 87° high

SETS13:55

Reaches about 87° 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.