OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

13.00°N, 8.91°EAfrica/Niamey

Deep Astronomical Night-21.9° (< −18°)

19:30:49

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

Sunset18:01

Civil Dusk18:22

Nautical18:47

Full Dark19:12

Nadir00:08

Dark Ends05:04

Nautical05:29

Civil Dawn05:54

Sunrise06:16

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE48.9°

DISTANCE379,859 km

Moonrise16:01

Moonset04:28

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX70% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

67/100

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	-24.5°	256°	Libra	06:13	12:03	17:47	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-61.5°	346°	Leo	01:41	08:00	14:15	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	38.0°	99°	Pisces	16:52	22:55	04:57	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-58.9°	3°	Cancer	01:04	07:23	13:44	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-5.0°	250°	Libra	07:45	13:27	19:08	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-7.6°	66°	Taurus	20:04	02:26	08:52	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	44.5°	104°	Pisces	16:24	22:25	04:26	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

RISES16:01

BEST TIME22:13S · 80° high

SETS04:28

Reaches about 80° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:41

BEST TIME08:00N · 89° high

SETS14:15

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

RISES16:52

BEST TIME22:55S · 78° high

SETS04:57

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

RISES06:13

BEST TIME12:03S · 59° high

SETS17:47

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

RISES01:04

BEST TIME07:23N · 85° high

SETS13:44

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.