OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

23.98°S, 23.90°EAfrica/Gaborone

Nautical Twilight-9.3° (−6° to −12°)

19:14:26

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 33m of true darkness · 11h 10m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:33

Civil Dusk18:56

Nautical19:24

Full Dark19:52

Nadir00:08

Dark Ends04:24

Nautical04:52

Civil Dawn05:20

Sunrise05:43

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE40.3°

DISTANCE380,145 km

Moonrise16:02

Moonset04:14

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX60% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

51/100

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	-7.8°	246°	Libra	05:23	12:03	18:37	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-75.7°	230°	Leo	02:21	08:00	13:36	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	30.6°	73°	Pisces	16:56	22:55	04:54	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-83.4°	202°	Cancer	01:54	07:25	12:54	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	11.0°	252°	Libra	06:42	13:27	20:08	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-24.0°	77°	Taurus	21:04	02:26	07:53	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	37.9°	70°	Pisces	16:23	22:25	04:28	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

RISES16:02

BEST TIME22:11N · 63° high

SETS04:14

Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:21

BEST TIME08:00N · 52° high

SETS13:36

Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:56

BEST TIME22:55N · 65° high

SETS04:54

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:23

BEST TIME12:03N · 84° high

SETS18:37

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

RISES01:54

BEST TIME07:25N · 48° high

SETS12:54

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.