OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

21.41°S, 25.59°EAfrica/Gaborone

Nautical Twilight-7.9° (−6° to −12°)

18:57:59

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 41m of true darkness · 11h 15m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:24

Civil Dusk18:46

Nautical19:13

Full Dark19:41

Nadir00:01

Dark Ends04:22

Nautical04:49

Civil Dawn05:16

Sunrise05:39

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE39.4°

DISTANCE380,206 km

Moonrise15:55

Moonset04:08

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX59% · 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	-6.7°	247°	Libra	05:20	11:56	18:26	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-75.2°	244°	Leo	02:11	07:53	13:32	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	29.1°	76°	Pisces	16:49	22:48	04:48	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-84.1°	234°	Cancer	01:44	07:18	12:51	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	12.4°	252°	Libra	06:40	13:20	19:56	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-25.6°	76°	Taurus	20:52	02:20	07:51	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	36.6°	74°	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 · 66° high

SETS04:08

Reaches about 66° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:11

BEST TIME07:53N · 54° high

SETS13:32

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

RISES16:49

BEST TIME22:48N · 67° high

SETS04:48

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

RISES05:20

BEST TIME11:56N · 87° high

SETS18:26

Reaches about 87° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:44

BEST TIME07:18N · 51° high

SETS12:51

Reaches about 51° 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.