OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

11.21°S, 13.84°EAfrica/Luanda

Daylight+8.4°

17:23:48

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 10m of true darkness · 11h 34m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:01

Civil Dusk18:23

Nautical18:48

Full Dark19:13

Nadir23:48

Dark Ends04:23

Nautical04:49

Civil Dawn05:14

Sunrise05:35

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE23.0°

DISTANCE380,335 km

Moonrise15:43

Moonset04:00

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX36% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

29/100

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	7.8°	253°	Libra	05:27	11:43	17:59	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-56.6°	279°	Leo	01:47	07:40	13:30	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	11.4°	86°	Pisces	16:35	22:35	04:35	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-64.4°	288°	Cancer	01:16	07:05	12:53	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	27.9°	252°	Libra	06:48	13:07	19:26	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-41.9°	72°	Taurus	20:22	02:06	07:55	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	19.0°	87°	Pisces	16:04	22:06	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 · 76° high

SETS04:00

Reaches about 76° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:47

BEST TIME07:40N · 64° high

SETS13:30

Reaches about 64° 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 · 77° high

SETS04:35

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

RISES05:27

BEST TIME11:43S · 83° high

SETS17:59

Reaches about 83° 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 TIME07:05N · 61° high

SETS12:53

Reaches about 61° 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.