OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

20.58°S, 26.42°EAfrica/Gaborone

Astronomical Twilight-16.8° (−12° to −18°)

19:33:11

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 44m of true darkness · 11h 17m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:19

Civil Dusk18:42

Nautical19:09

Full Dark19:36

Nadir23:58

Dark Ends04:20

Nautical04:47

Civil Dawn05:14

Sunrise05:37

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE47.7°

DISTANCE380,075 km

Moonrise15:51

Moonset04:05

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX68% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

58/100

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	-15.3°	243°	Libra	05:18	11:53	18:22	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-82.7°	212°	Leo	02:07	07:50	13:30	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	37.9°	71°	Pisces	16:46	22:45	04:44	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-84.8°	121°	Cancer	01:39	07:13	12:49	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	3.7°	249°	Libra	06:39	13:17	19:52	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-16.7°	73°	Taurus	20:48	02:16	07:49	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	45.4°	68°	Pisces	16:13	22:15	04:17	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

RISES15:51

BEST TIME22:01N · 67° high

SETS04:05

Reaches about 67° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:07

BEST TIME07:50N · 55° high

SETS13:30

Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:46

BEST TIME22:45N · 68° high

SETS04:44

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:18

BEST TIME11:53N · 88° high

SETS18:22

Reaches about 88° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:39

BEST TIME07:13N · 52° high

SETS12:49

Reaches about 52° 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.