OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

13.96°N, 7.67°EAfrica/Niamey

Daylight+0.2°

18:03:34

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 53m of true darkness · 12h 16m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:05

Civil Dusk18:27

Nautical18:52

Full Dark19:17

Nadir00:13

Dark Ends05:10

Nautical05:35

Civil Dawn06:00

Sunrise06:21

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE26.9°

DISTANCE380,185 km

Moonrise16:06

Moonset04:34

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX42% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

27/100

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♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-2.9°	252°	Libra	06:25	12:08	17:50	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-48.6°	312°	Leo	01:45	08:05	14:21	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	15.5°	92°	Pisces	16:57	23:00	05:03	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-51.4°	326°	Cancer	01:08	07:30	13:50	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	14.7°	244°	Libra	07:52	13:32	19:11	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-27.2°	57°	Taurus	20:08	02:31	08:58	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	22.3°	96°	Pisces	16:29	22:30	04:31	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

RISES16:06

BEST TIME22:18S · 79° high

SETS04:34

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:45

BEST TIME08:05N · 90° high

SETS14:21

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

RISES16:57

BEST TIME23:00S · 78° high

SETS05:03

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

RISES06:25

BEST TIME12:08S · 58° high

SETS17:50

Reaches about 58° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:08

BEST TIME07:30N · 86° high

SETS13:50

Reaches about 86° 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.