OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

20.05°S, 26.20°EAfrica/Gaborone

Daylight+4.9°

17:55:54

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

Sunset18:20

Civil Dusk18:42

Nautical19:09

Full Dark19:36

Nadir23:59

Dark Ends04:22

Nautical04:49

Civil Dawn05:15

Sunrise05:38

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE26.9°

DISTANCE380,439 km

Moonrise15:52

Moonset04:06

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX42% · 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	5.5°	253°	Libra	05:20	11:54	18:22	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-62.0°	263°	Leo	02:07	07:51	13:31	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	15.6°	83°	Pisces	16:47	22:46	04:45	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-70.9°	267°	Cancer	01:39	07:16	12:51	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	25.4°	256°	Libra	06:44	13:18	19:51	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-39.1°	79°	Taurus	20:48	02:17	07:51	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	23.2°	81°	Pisces	16:14	22:16	04:18	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

RISES15:52

BEST TIME22:02N · 67° high

SETS04:06

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:07

BEST TIME07:51N · 56° high

SETS13:31

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

RISES16:47

BEST TIME22:46N · 69° high

SETS04:45

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

RISES05:20

BEST TIME11:54N · 88° high

SETS18:22

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

RISES01:39

BEST TIME07:16N · 52° high

SETS12:51

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.