OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

3.50°N, 11.33°EAfrica/Douala

Daylight+5.3°

17:35:11

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 39m of true darkness · 11h 59m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:59

Civil Dusk18:20

Nautical18:45

Full Dark19:09

Nadir23:58

Dark Ends04:48

Nautical05:12

Civil Dawn05:37

Sunrise05:58

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE24.2°

DISTANCE380,292 km

Moonrise15:52

Moonset04:15

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX38% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

28/100

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/Douala

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Rising / Setting	-4.3	3.2°	252°	Libra	05:57	11:53	17:49	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-52.0°	299°	Leo	01:42	07:50	13:55	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	12.3°	89°	Pisces	16:44	22:45	04:47	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-57.1°	312°	Cancer	01:07	07:15	13:22	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	22.3°	246°	Libra	07:21	13:17	19:13	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-35.6°	61°	Taurus	20:10	02:16	08:27	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	19.6°	92°	Pisces	16:14	22:16	04:17	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 TIME22:03S · 89° high

SETS04:15

Reaches about 89° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:42

BEST TIME07:50N · 79° high

SETS13:55

Reaches about 79° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:44

BEST TIME22:45S · 88° high

SETS04:47

Reaches about 88° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:57

BEST TIME11:53S · 68° high

SETS17:49

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:07

BEST TIME07:15N · 76° high

SETS13:22

Reaches about 76° 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.