OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

3.80°N, 10.13°EAfrica/Douala

Deep Astronomical Night-26.7° (< −18°)

19:51:39

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 39m of true darkness · 11h 59m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:04

Civil Dusk18:25

Nautical18:49

Full Dark19:14

Nadir00:03

Dark Ends04:53

Nautical05:17

Civil Dawn05:42

Sunrise06:03

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE56.3°

DISTANCE379,781 km

Moonrise15:57

Moonset04:20

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX77% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

65/100

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	-28.1°	252°	Libra	05:56	11:58	17:54	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-71.7°	358°	Leo	01:46	07:55	14:00	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	45.2°	92°	Pisces	16:48	22:50	04:52	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-66.8°	20°	Cancer	01:12	07:18	13:27	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-7.8°	249°	Libra	07:22	13:22	19:18	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-5.3°	68°	Taurus	20:14	02:21	08:33	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	52.4°	96°	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 · 89° high

SETS04:20

Reaches about 89° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:46

BEST TIME07:55N · 79° high

SETS14:00

Reaches about 79° 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 · 88° high

SETS04:52

Reaches about 88° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:56

BEST TIME11:58S · 68° high

SETS17:54

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:12

BEST TIME07:18N · 76° high

SETS13:27

Reaches about 76° 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.