OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

21.18°S, 24.88°EAfrica/Gaborone

Deep Astronomical Night-26.5° (< −18°)

20:25:22

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 42m of true darkness · 11h 16m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:26

Civil Dusk18:49

Nautical19:16

Full Dark19:43

Nadir00:04

Dark Ends04:25

Nautical04:52

Civil Dawn05:19

Sunrise05:42

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE55.9°

DISTANCE379,879 km

Moonrise15:58

Moonset04:11

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX77% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

65/100

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	-24.5°	237°	Libra	05:24	11:59	18:29	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-80.0°	132°	Leo	02:14	07:53	13:35	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	47.6°	62°	Pisces	16:52	22:51	04:50	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-74.3°	99°	Cancer	01:46	07:20	12:55	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-5.5°	245°	Libra	06:44	13:23	19:59	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-6.5°	70°	Taurus	20:55	02:22	07:50	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	54.7°	58°	Pisces	16:19	22:21	04:24	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

RISES15:58

BEST TIME22:07N · 66° high

SETS04:11

Reaches about 66° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:14

BEST TIME07:53N · 55° high

SETS13:35

Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:52

BEST TIME22:51N · 67° high

SETS04:50

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

RISES05:24

BEST TIME11:59N · 87° high

SETS18:29

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

RISES01:46

BEST TIME07:20N · 51° high

SETS12:55

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.