OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

6.67°N, 2.15°EAfrica/Porto-Novo

Astronomical Twilight-13.4° (−12° to −18°)

19:27:29

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 43m of true darkness · 12h 4m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:33

Civil Dusk18:54

Nautical19:19

Full Dark19:43

Nadir00:35

Dark Ends05:27

Nautical05:51

Civil Dawn06:16

Sunrise06:37

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE42.2°

DISTANCE379,872 km

Moonrise16:30

Moonset04:54

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX62% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

60/100

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/Porto-Novo

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-15.5°	253°	Libra	06:31	12:30	18:22	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-64.3°	326°	Leo	02:15	08:27	14:35	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	31.1°	92°	Pisces	17:20	23:22	05:24	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-64.5°	346°	Cancer	01:40	07:52	14:03	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	3.8°	248°	Libra	08:02	13:54	19:45	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-17.1°	65°	Taurus	20:41	02:53	09:09	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	38.2°	96°	Pisces	16:51	22:52	04:53	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

RISES16:30

BEST TIME22:41S · 86° high

SETS04:54

Reaches about 86° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:15

BEST TIME08:27N · 82° high

SETS14:35

Reaches about 82° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:20

BEST TIME23:22S · 85° high

SETS05:24

Reaches about 85° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:31

BEST TIME12:30S · 65° high

SETS18:22

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:40

BEST TIME07:52N · 79° high

SETS14:03

Reaches about 79° 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.