OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

24.45°S, 26.02°EAfrica/Gaborone

Deep Astronomical Night-35.1° (< −18°)

21:12:44

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 31m of true darkness · 11h 9m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:25

Civil Dusk18:48

Nautical19:16

Full Dark19:44

Nadir00:00

Dark Ends04:15

Nautical04:43

Civil Dawn05:11

Sunrise05:34

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE60.3°

DISTANCE379,703 km

Moonrise15:53

Moonset04:06

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/Gaborone

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-32.0°	226°	Libra	05:14	11:55	18:30	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-68.0°	114°	Leo	02:13	07:48	13:27	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	55.4°	45°	Pisces	16:48	22:47	04:46	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-61.9°	98°	Cancer	01:46	07:15	12:45	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-14.6°	238°	Libra	06:33	13:18	20:00	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	3.0°	65°	Taurus	20:56	02:18	07:40	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	61.3°	36°	Pisces	16:15	22:17	04:19	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

RISES15:53

BEST TIME22:02N · 63° high

SETS04:06

Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:13

BEST TIME07:48N · 51° high

SETS13:27

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:48

BEST TIME22:47N · 64° high

SETS04:46

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:14

BEST TIME11:55N · 84° high

SETS18:30

Reaches about 84° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:46

BEST TIME07:15N · 48° high

SETS12:45

Reaches about 48° 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.