OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

15.24°S, 13.88°EAfrica/Luanda

Daylight+3.8°

17:46:08

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 0m of true darkness · 11h 27m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:05

Civil Dusk18:27

Nautical18:52

Full Dark19:18

Nadir23:48

Dark Ends04:18

Nautical04:44

Civil Dawn05:10

Sunrise05:32

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE27.7°

DISTANCE380,251 km

Moonrise15:43

Moonset03:58

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX43% · 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/Luanda

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Rising / Setting	-4.3	3.9°	252°	Libra	05:16	11:43	18:04	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-62.5°	272°	Leo	01:51	07:40	13:26	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	16.5°	84°	Pisces	16:35	22:35	04:35	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-70.8°	281°	Cancer	01:22	07:05	12:47	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	23.9°	253°	Libra	06:41	13:07	19:32	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-37.7°	75°	Taurus	20:29	02:06	07:48	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	24.1°	83°	Pisces	16:04	22:05	04:07	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

RISES15:43

BEST TIME21:53N · 72° high

SETS03:58

Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:51

BEST TIME07:40N · 60° high

SETS13:26

Reaches about 60° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:35

BEST TIME22:35N · 73° high

SETS04:35

Reaches about 73° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:16

BEST TIME11:43S · 87° high

SETS18:04

Reaches about 87° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:22

BEST TIME07:05N · 57° high

SETS12:47

Reaches about 57° 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.