OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

20.75°S, 26.65°EAfrica/Gaborone

Civil Twilight-3.5° (0° to −6°)

18:33:33

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 44m of true darkness · 11h 17m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:19

Civil Dusk18:41

Nautical19:08

Full Dark19:35

Nadir23:57

Dark Ends04:19

Nautical04:46

Civil Dawn05:13

Sunrise05:35

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE35.4°

DISTANCE380,298 km

Moonrise15:51

Moonset04:04

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX53% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

38/100

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♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-2.5°	249°	Libra	05:17	11:52	18:21	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-71.0°	253°	Leo	02:06	07:49	13:29	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	24.6°	78°	Pisces	16:45	22:44	04:43	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-80.0°	255°	Cancer	01:38	07:14	12:48	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	16.7°	253°	Libra	06:41	13:16	19:51	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-30.1°	77°	Taurus	20:47	02:15	07:48	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	32.2°	77°	Pisces	16:12	22:14	04:16	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

RISES15:51

BEST TIME22:00N · 66° high

SETS04:04

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:06

BEST TIME07:49N · 55° high

SETS13:29

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

RISES16:45

BEST TIME22:44N · 68° high

SETS04:43

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:17

BEST TIME11:52N · 87° high

SETS18:21

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

RISES01:38

BEST TIME07:14N · 51° high

SETS12:48

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.