OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

21.53°S, 21.93°EAfrica/Gaborone

Deep Astronomical Night-34.0° (< −18°)

21:14:29

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 41m of true darkness · 11h 15m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:38

Civil Dusk19:01

Nautical19:28

Full Dark19:55

Nadir00:16

Dark Ends04:36

Nautical05:04

Civil Dawn05:31

Sunrise05:54

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE61.1°

DISTANCE379,696 km

Moonrise16:10

Moonset04:23

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	-31.4°	231°	Libra	05:35	12:11	18:41	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-72.2°	111°	Leo	02:26	08:05	13:46	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	54.8°	53°	Pisces	17:04	23:03	05:02	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-65.6°	94°	Cancer	01:58	07:31	13:06	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-13.2°	241°	Libra	06:55	13:35	20:11	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	1.3°	67°	Taurus	21:07	02:34	08:01	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	61.3°	45°	Pisces	16:31	22:33	04:35	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

RISES16:10

BEST TIME22:19N · 65° high

SETS04:23

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:26

BEST TIME08:05N · 54° high

SETS13:46

Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:04

BEST TIME23:03N · 67° high

SETS05:02

Reaches about 67° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:35

BEST TIME12:11N · 87° high

SETS18:41

Reaches about 87° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:58

BEST TIME07:31N · 51° high

SETS13:06

Reaches about 51° 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.