OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

21.44°S, 27.46°EAfrica/Gaborone

Deep Astronomical Night-29.9° (< −18°)

20:32:08

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 41m of true darkness · 11h 15m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:16

Civil Dusk18:39

Nautical19:06

Full Dark19:33

Nadir23:54

Dark Ends04:14

Nautical04:42

Civil Dawn05:09

Sunrise05:32

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE58.5°

DISTANCE379,854 km

Moonrise15:47

Moonset04:01

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX79% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

64/100

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	-27.7°	234°	Libra	05:13	11:49	18:19	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-76.6°	120°	Leo	02:04	07:43	13:24	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	51.0°	58°	Pisces	16:42	22:41	04:40	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-70.3°	97°	Cancer	01:36	07:09	12:44	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-9.0°	243°	Libra	06:33	13:13	19:49	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-2.8°	69°	Taurus	20:45	02:12	07:39	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	57.8°	52°	Pisces	16:09	22:11	04:13	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

RISES15:47

BEST TIME21:56N · 66° high

SETS04:01

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:04

BEST TIME07:43N · 54° high

SETS13:24

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

RISES16:42

BEST TIME22:41N · 67° high

SETS04:40

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

RISES05:13

BEST TIME11:49N · 87° high

SETS18:19

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

RISES01:36

BEST TIME07:09N · 51° high

SETS12:44

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.