OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

5.16°N, 10.18°EAfrica/Douala

Deep Astronomical Night-29.6° (< −18°)

20:02:07

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 41m of true darkness · 12h 2m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:02

Civil Dusk18:23

Nautical18:48

Full Dark19:12

Nadir00:03

Dark Ends04:54

Nautical05:18

Civil Dawn05:43

Sunrise06:04

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE58.9°

DISTANCE379,742 km

Moonrise15:57

Moonset04:20

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX80% · 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/Douala

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-31.1°	252°	Libra	05:57	11:58	17:52	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-70.2°	6°	Leo	01:45	07:52	14:02	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	47.8°	94°	Pisces	16:48	22:50	04:52	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-64.5°	24°	Cancer	01:10	07:18	13:29	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-10.8°	250°	Libra	07:24	13:22	19:15	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-2.3°	69°	Taurus	20:12	02:21	08:34	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	54.9°	98°	Pisces	16:19	22:20	04:21	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

RISES15:57

BEST TIME22:08S · 88° high

SETS04:20

Reaches about 88° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:45

BEST TIME07:52N · 81° high

SETS14:02

Reaches about 81° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:48

BEST TIME22:50S · 86° high

SETS04:52

Reaches about 86° 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 TIME11:58S · 67° high

SETS17:52

Reaches about 67° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:10

BEST TIME07:18N · 77° high

SETS13:29

Reaches about 77° 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.