OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

4.75°N, 11.23°EAfrica/Douala

Nautical Twilight-8.1° (−6° to −12°)

18:30:54

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 41m of true darkness · 12h 1m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:58

Civil Dusk18:20

Nautical18:44

Full Dark19:09

Nadir23:59

Dark Ends04:49

Nautical05:14

Civil Dawn05:38

Sunrise05:59

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE37.6°

DISTANCE380,083 km

Moonrise15:52

Moonset04:16

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX57% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

52/100

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	-10.1°	253°	Libra	05:53	11:54	17:48	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-62.5°	315°	Leo	01:41	07:51	13:57	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	26.1°	91°	Pisces	16:44	22:46	04:47	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-64.6°	334°	Cancer	01:06	07:16	13:24	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	9.1°	248°	Libra	07:23	13:17	19:12	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-22.6°	65°	Taurus	20:08	02:17	08:30	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	33.3°	94°	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 TIME22:03S · 88° high

SETS04:16

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:41

BEST TIME07:51N · 80° high

SETS13:57

Reaches about 80° 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 TIME22:46S · 87° high

SETS04:47

Reaches about 87° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:53

BEST TIME11:54S · 67° high

SETS17:48

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

RISES01:06

BEST TIME07:16N · 77° high

SETS13:24

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.