OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

6.36°N, 10.36°EAfrica/Douala

Deep Astronomical Night-18.5° (< −18°)

19:15:31

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 43m of true darkness · 12h 4m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:01

Civil Dusk18:22

Nautical18:46

Full Dark19:11

Nadir00:02

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%

ALTITUDE47.6°

DISTANCE379,916 km

Moonrise15:56

Moonset04:20

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX68% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

68/100

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	-20.4°	253°	Libra	05:58	11:57	17:50	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-67.1°	336°	Leo	01:43	07:54	14:02	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	36.3°	93°	Pisces	16:47	22:49	04:51	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-65.6°	358°	Cancer	01:07	07:19	13:30	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-0.5°	249°	Libra	07:29	13:21	19:13	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-12.5°	67°	Taurus	20:09	02:20	08:36	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	43.4°	97°	Pisces	16:18	22:19	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

RISES15:56

BEST TIME22:07S · 86° high

SETS04:20

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:43

BEST TIME07:54N · 82° high

SETS14:02

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

RISES16:47

BEST TIME22:49S · 85° high

SETS04:51

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

RISES05:58

BEST TIME11:57S · 66° high

SETS17:50

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

RISES01:07

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.