OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

2.38°N, 11.28°EAfrica/Douala

Deep Astronomical Night-22.3° (< −18°)

19:30:14

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 37m of true darkness · 11h 57m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:00

Civil Dusk18:21

Nautical18:46

Full Dark19:10

Nadir23:59

Dark Ends04:47

Nautical05:12

Civil Dawn05:36

Sunrise05:57

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE52.2°

DISTANCE379,861 km

Moonrise15:52

Moonset04:15

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX73% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

66/100

Good Stargazing

Fine observing conditions. Open star clusters and nebulae will exhibit crisp structure.

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♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-23.6°	251°	Libra	05:49	11:53	17:51	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-72.4°	344°	Leo	01:43	07:50	13:54	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	41.0°	90°	Pisces	16:44	22:45	04:47	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-69.2°	10°	Cancer	01:09	07:14	13:21	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-3.4°	249°	Libra	07:16	13:17	19:15	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-9.7°	68°	Taurus	20:12	02:17	08:26	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	48.3°	93°	Pisces	16:15	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 TIME22:03N · 90° high

SETS04:15

Reaches about 90° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:43

BEST TIME07:50N · 78° high

SETS13:54

Reaches about 78° 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 · 89° high

SETS04:47

Reaches about 89° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:49

BEST TIME11:53S · 70° high

SETS17:51

Reaches about 70° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:09

BEST TIME07:14N · 75° high

SETS13:21

Reaches about 75° 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.