OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

12.68°S, 14.42°EAfrica/Luanda

Deep Astronomical Night-30.1° (< −18°)

20:07:45

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 6m of true darkness · 11h 32m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:00

Civil Dusk18:22

Nautical18:47

Full Dark19:13

Nadir23:46

Dark Ends04:19

Nautical04:45

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

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE60.6°

DISTANCE379,721 km

Moonrise15:41

Moonset03:57

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX81% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

63/100

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/Luanda

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-29.1°	241°	Libra	05:17	11:41	17:58	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-82.2°	76°	Leo	01:46	07:35	13:26	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	51.1°	71°	Pisces	16:33	22:33	04:33	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-73.3°	70°	Cancer	01:16	07:01	12:48	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-9.3°	246°	Libra	06:40	13:05	19:26	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-3.4°	69°	Taurus	20:22	02:04	07:46	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	58.7°	69°	Pisces	16:02	22:03	04:05	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

RISES15:41

BEST TIME21:50N · 74° high

SETS03:57

Reaches about 74° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:46

BEST TIME07:35N · 63° high

SETS13:26

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

RISES16:33

BEST TIME22:33N · 76° high

SETS04:33

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

RISES05:17

BEST TIME11:41S · 85° high

SETS17:58

Reaches about 85° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:16

BEST TIME07:01N · 60° high

SETS12:48

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.