OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

22.66°S, 27.22°EAfrica/Gaborone

Deep Astronomical Night-22.6° (< −18°)

20:00:46

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 37m of true darkness · 11h 13m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:18

Civil Dusk18:41

Nautical19:08

Full Dark19:36

Nadir23:55

Dark Ends04:13

Nautical04:41

Civil Dawn05:08

Sunrise05:31

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE52.4°

DISTANCE379,971 km

Moonrise15:48

Moonset04:01

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX73% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

66/100

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	-20.7°	239°	Libra	05:12	11:50	18:22	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-80.9°	156°	Leo	02:06	07:43	13:24	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	43.8°	64°	Pisces	16:43	22:42	04:41	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-77.4°	110°	Cancer	01:39	07:10	12:43	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-1.7°	246°	Libra	06:32	13:14	19:52	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-10.4°	72°	Taurus	20:48	02:13	07:38	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	50.9°	60°	Pisces	16:10	22:12	04:14	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

RISES15:48

BEST TIME21:57N · 64° high

SETS04:01

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:06

BEST TIME07:43N · 53° high

SETS13:24

Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:43

BEST TIME22:42N · 66° high

SETS04:41

Reaches about 66° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:12

BEST TIME11:50N · 85° high

SETS18:22

Reaches about 85° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:39

BEST TIME07:10N · 50° high

SETS12:43

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.