OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

14.01°N, 0.75°EAfrica/Niamey

Daylight+24.9°

16:43:10

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

Sunset18:33

Civil Dusk18:54

Nautical19:19

Full Dark19:44

Nadir00:41

Dark Ends05:37

Nautical06:02

Civil Dawn06:27

Sunrise06:49

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE1.4°

DISTANCE380,487 km

Moonrise16:35

Moonset05:02

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX2% · Minimal Lunar Glare

Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

41/100

Fair Stargazing

Partial haze or lunar wash. Bright clusters, double stars, and prominent planets remain well visible.

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♀	Visible Low	-4.3	20.9°	244°	Libra	06:53	12:35	18:18	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-26.2°	294°	Leo	02:13	08:33	14:49	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-10.2°	86°	Pisces	17:25	23:27	05:34	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-32.0°	302°	Cancer	01:35	07:58	14:18	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	36.7°	230°	Libra	08:19	13:59	19:39	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-46.6°	36°	Taurus	20:35	02:59	09:26	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-3.4°	89°	Pisces	16:57	22:58	05:03	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

RISES16:35

BEST TIME22:47S · 79° high

SETS05:02

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:13

BEST TIME08:33N · 90° high

SETS14:49

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

RISES17:25

BEST TIME23:27S · 77° high

SETS05:34

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

RISES06:53

BEST TIME12:35S · 58° high

SETS18:18

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

RISES01:35

BEST TIME07:58N · 86° high

SETS14:18

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.