OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

21.95°S, 27.90°EAfrica/Gaborone

Astronomical Twilight-17.9° (−12° to −18°)

19:34:31

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 40m of true darkness · 11h 14m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:15

Civil Dusk18:38

Nautical19:05

Full Dark19:32

Nadir23:52

Dark Ends04:12

Nautical04:39

Civil Dawn05:06

Sunrise05:29

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE48.4°

DISTANCE380,070 km

Moonrise15:45

Moonset03:59

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX69% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

58/100

Fair Stargazing

Partial haze or lunar wash. Bright clusters, double stars, and prominent planets remain well visible.

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	-16.2°	242°	Libra	05:10	11:47	18:18	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-82.1°	195°	Leo	02:03	07:44	13:22	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	39.1°	69°	Pisces	16:40	22:39	04:38	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-82.7°	123°	Cancer	01:35	07:07	12:41	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	2.7°	248°	Libra	06:30	13:11	19:48	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-15.4°	73°	Taurus	20:44	02:10	07:41	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	46.4°	66°	Pisces	16:07	22:09	04:12	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

RISES15:45

BEST TIME21:55N · 65° high

SETS03:59

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:03

BEST TIME07:44N · 54° high

SETS13:22

Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:40

BEST TIME22:39N · 67° high

SETS04:38

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

RISES05:10

BEST TIME11:47N · 86° high

SETS18:18

Reaches about 86° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:35

BEST TIME07:07N · 50° high

SETS12:41

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.