OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

9.66°S, 20.39°EAfrica/Luanda

Deep Astronomical Night-36.2° (< −18°)

20:05:23

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 14m of true darkness · 11h 37m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:34

Civil Dusk17:55

Nautical18:20

Full Dark18:45

Nadir23:22

Dark Ends03:59

Nautical04:24

Civil Dawn04:49

Sunrise05:11

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE66.8°

DISTANCE379,730 km

Moonrise15:16

Moonset03:34

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX85% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

62/100

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	-35.2°	240°	Libra	04:58	11:17	17:31	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-76.2°	68°	Leo	01:19	07:11	13:06	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	57.1°	72°	Pisces	16:09	22:09	04:09	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-67.3°	66°	Cancer	00:48	06:37	12:29	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-15.4°	245°	Libra	06:21	12:41	18:57	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	2.3°	68°	Taurus	19:54	01:40	07:27	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	64.7°	70°	Pisces	15:38	21:39	03:41	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

RISES15:16

BEST TIME21:26N · 78° high

SETS03:34

Reaches about 78° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:19

BEST TIME07:11N · 66° high

SETS13:06

Reaches about 66° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:09

BEST TIME22:09N · 79° high

SETS04:09

Reaches about 79° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES04:58

BEST TIME11:17S · 82° high

SETS17:31

Reaches about 82° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:48

BEST TIME06:37N · 63° high

SETS12:29

Reaches about 63° 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.