OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

5.89°N, 10.01°EAfrica/Douala

Deep Astronomical Night-22.0° (< −18°)

19:31:15

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 42m of true darkness · 12h 3m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:02

Civil Dusk18:24

Nautical18:48

Full Dark19:13

Nadir00:04

Dark Ends04:55

Nautical05:19

Civil Dawn05:44

Sunrise06:05

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE51.1°

DISTANCE379,858 km

Moonrise15:57

Moonset04:21

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX72% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

67/100

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	-23.7°	253°	Libra	05:59	11:58	17:52	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-68.8°	344°	Leo	01:45	07:56	14:03	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	39.9°	93°	Pisces	16:49	22:51	04:52	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-65.9°	6°	Cancer	01:09	07:19	13:30	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-3.7°	249°	Libra	07:26	13:22	19:15	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-9.4°	67°	Taurus	20:11	02:22	08:36	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	47.0°	97°	Pisces	16:20	22:21	04:22	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 · 87° high

SETS04:21

Reaches about 87° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:45

BEST TIME07:56N · 82° high

SETS14:03

Reaches about 82° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:49

BEST TIME22:51S · 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

RISES05:59

BEST TIME11:58S · 66° high

SETS17:52

Reaches about 66° 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 TIME07:19N · 78° high

SETS13:30

Reaches about 78° 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.