OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

19.98°S, 23.42°EAfrica/Gaborone

Daylight+4.3°

18:09:56

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 46m of true darkness · 11h 18m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:31

Civil Dusk18:53

Nautical19:20

Full Dark19:47

Nadir00:10

Dark Ends04:33

Nautical05:00

Civil Dawn05:26

Sunrise05:49

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE27.5°

DISTANCE380,387 km

Moonrise16:04

Moonset04:18

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX43% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

27/100

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	4.9°	253°	Libra	05:31	12:05	18:33	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-62.7°	263°	Leo	02:18	08:02	13:42	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	16.3°	82°	Pisces	16:58	22:57	04:56	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-71.6°	267°	Cancer	01:50	07:27	13:02	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	24.7°	255°	Libra	06:55	13:29	20:02	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-38.4°	79°	Taurus	20:59	02:28	08:02	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	23.9°	81°	Pisces	16:25	22:27	04:29	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

RISES16:04

BEST TIME22:13N · 67° high

SETS04:18

Reaches about 67° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:18

BEST TIME08:02N · 56° high

SETS13:42

Reaches about 56° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:58

BEST TIME22:57N · 69° high

SETS04:56

Reaches about 69° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:31

BEST TIME12:05N · 88° high

SETS18:33

Reaches about 88° 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 TIME07:27N · 52° high

SETS13:02

Reaches about 52° 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.