OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

13.30°N, 2.34°EAfrica/Niamey

Daylight+8.0°

17:50:22

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 52m of true darkness · 12h 15m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:27

Civil Dusk18:48

Nautical19:13

Full Dark19:38

Nadir00:34

Dark Ends05:31

Nautical05:55

Civil Dawn06:21

Sunrise06:42

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE18.6°

DISTANCE380,235 km

Moonrise16:28

Moonset04:55

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX30% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

31/100

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	4.8°	250°	Libra	06:46	12:29	18:12	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-42.3°	304°	Leo	02:07	08:26	14:42	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Rising / Setting	0.3	7.2°	90°	Pisces	17:18	23:21	05:24	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-46.6°	316°	Cancer	01:30	07:51	14:11	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	22.4°	240°	Libra	08:12	13:53	19:34	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-34.4°	52°	Taurus	20:30	02:52	09:19	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	14.0°	94°	Pisces	16:50	22:51	04:52	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

RISES16:28

BEST TIME22:40S · 79° high

SETS04:55

Reaches about 79° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:07

BEST TIME08:26N · 89° high

SETS14:42

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

RISES17:18

BEST TIME23:21S · 78° high

SETS05:24

Reaches about 78° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:46

BEST TIME12:29S · 59° high

SETS18:12

Reaches about 59° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:30

BEST TIME07:51N · 85° high

SETS14:11

Reaches about 85° 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.