OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

6.75°N, 11.82°EAfrica/Douala

Deep Astronomical Night-25.0° (< −18°)

19:35:50

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 44m of true darkness · 12h 4m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:54

Civil Dusk18:16

Nautical18:40

Full Dark19:05

Nadir23:57

Dark Ends04:48

Nautical05:13

Civil Dawn05:37

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%

ALTITUDE53.9°

DISTANCE379,840 km

Moonrise15:50

Moonset04:14

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX75% · 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	-26.8°	253°	Libra	05:53	11:51	17:43	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-68.5°	352°	Leo	01:37	07:48	13:57	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	42.7°	94°	Pisces	16:41	22:43	04:45	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-64.5°	13°	Cancer	01:01	07:12	13:24	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-6.7°	250°	Libra	07:20	13:15	19:06	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-6.3°	68°	Taurus	20:03	02:15	08:30	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	49.8°	99°	Pisces	16:13	22:14	04:15	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

RISES15:50

BEST TIME22:01S · 86° high

SETS04:14

Reaches about 86° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:37

BEST TIME07:48N · 82° high

SETS13:57

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

RISES16:41

BEST TIME22:43S · 85° high

SETS04:45

Reaches about 85° 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 TIME11:51S · 65° high

SETS17:43

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:01

BEST TIME07:12N · 79° high

SETS13:24

Reaches about 79° 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.