OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

12.53°S, 13.40°EAfrica/Luanda

Civil Twilight-3.0° (0° to −6°)

18:16:08

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 7m of true darkness · 11h 32m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:04

Civil Dusk18:26

Nautical18:51

Full Dark19:17

Nadir23:50

Dark Ends04:23

Nautical04:49

Civil Dawn05:14

Sunrise05:36

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE34.7°

DISTANCE380,138 km

Moonrise15:45

Moonset04:01

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX53% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

38/100

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/Luanda

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-3.0°	251°	Libra	05:22	11:45	18:02	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-69.1°	278°	Leo	01:50	07:42	13:31	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	23.6°	83°	Pisces	16:37	22:37	04:37	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-76.6°	295°	Cancer	01:20	07:07	12:53	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	16.6°	252°	Libra	06:48	13:09	19:30	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-30.4°	73°	Taurus	20:26	02:08	07:54	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	31.2°	83°	Pisces	16:06	22:07	04:09	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

RISES15:45

BEST TIME21:54N · 74° high

SETS04:01

Reaches about 74° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:50

BEST TIME07:42N · 63° high

SETS13:31

Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:37

BEST TIME22:37N · 76° high

SETS04:37

Reaches about 76° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:22

BEST TIME11:45S · 84° high

SETS18:02

Reaches about 84° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:20

BEST TIME07:07N · 60° high

SETS12:53

Reaches about 60° 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.