OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

24.97°S, 25.33°EAfrica/Gaborone

Daylight+2.5°

18:14:49

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 29m of true darkness · 11h 8m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:28

Civil Dusk18:52

Nautical19:19

Full Dark19:48

Nadir00:02

Dark Ends04:17

Nautical04:45

Civil Dawn05:13

Sunrise05:36

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE28.9°

DISTANCE380,368 km

Moonrise15:56

Moonset04:08

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX45% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

26/100

Challenging Stargazing

High cloud cover or severe light interference. Recommend bright planetary observation or indoor planning.

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♀	Rising / Setting	-4.3	3.7°	252°	Libra	05:16	11:57	18:33	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-64.4°	250°	Leo	02:17	07:54	13:29	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	18.4°	79°	Pisces	16:51	22:49	04:48	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-73.3°	248°	Cancer	01:50	07:20	12:47	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	23.1°	257°	Libra	06:38	13:21	20:04	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-36.4°	82°	Taurus	21:00	02:21	07:45	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	25.8°	77°	Pisces	16:17	22:20	04:22	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

RISES15:56

BEST TIME22:05N · 62° high

SETS04:08

Reaches about 62° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:17

BEST TIME07:54N · 51° high

SETS13:29

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:51

BEST TIME22:49N · 64° high

SETS04:48

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:16

BEST TIME11:57N · 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 TIME07:20N · 47° high

SETS12:47

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.