OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

21.83°S, 28.73°EAfrica/Gaborone

Deep Astronomical Night-26.5° (< −18°)

20:11:09

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 40m of true darkness · 11h 15m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:11

Civil Dusk18:34

Nautical19:01

Full Dark19:29

Nadir23:49

Dark Ends04:09

Nautical04:36

Civil Dawn05:03

Sunrise05:26

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE55.8°

DISTANCE379,933 km

Moonrise15:42

Moonset03:55

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX77% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

65/100

Good Stargazing

Fine observing conditions. Open star clusters and nebulae will exhibit crisp structure.

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	-24.3°	237°	Libra	05:07	11:44	18:15	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-79.4°	133°	Leo	01:59	07:37	13:19	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	47.6°	62°	Pisces	16:37	22:36	04:35	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-74.0°	101°	Cancer	01:32	07:04	12:38	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-5.5°	245°	Libra	06:27	13:08	19:45	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-6.5°	70°	Taurus	20:41	02:07	07:33	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	54.6°	57°	Pisces	16:04	22:06	04:08	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

RISES15:42

BEST TIME21:51N · 65° high

SETS03:55

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:59

BEST TIME07:37N · 54° high

SETS13:19

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

RISES16:37

BEST TIME22:36N · 67° high

SETS04:35

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

RISES05:07

BEST TIME11:44N · 86° high

SETS18:15

Reaches about 86° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:32

BEST TIME07:04N · 50° high

SETS12:38

Reaches about 50° 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.