OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

25.42°S, 25.55°EAfrica/Gaborone

Deep Astronomical Night-21.5° (< −18°)

20:07:44

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 27m of true darkness · 11h 7m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:28

Civil Dusk18:51

Nautical19:19

Full Dark19:48

Nadir00:01

Dark Ends04:15

Nautical04:44

Civil Dawn05:11

Sunrise05:35

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE50.6°

DISTANCE379,945 km

Moonrise15:55

Moonset04:07

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX72% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

67/100

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	-19.3°	238°	Libra	05:14	11:56	18:33	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-78.3°	161°	Leo	02:16	07:50	13:27	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	42.6°	62°	Pisces	16:50	22:49	04:47	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-76.2°	121°	Cancer	01:50	07:17	12:46	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-0.6°	246°	Libra	06:33	13:20	20:04	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-11.2°	72°	Taurus	21:00	02:20	07:40	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	49.5°	57°	Pisces	16:17	22:19	04:21	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

RISES15:55

BEST TIME22:04N · 62° high

SETS04:07

Reaches about 62° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:16

BEST TIME07:50N · 50° high

SETS13:27

Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:50

BEST TIME22:49N · 63° high

SETS04:47

Reaches about 63° 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 TIME11:56N · 83° high

SETS18:33

Reaches about 83° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:50

BEST TIME07:17N · 47° high

SETS12:46

Reaches about 47° 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.