OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

10.11°N, 14.45°EAfrica/Douala

Deep Astronomical Night-38.3° (< −18°)

20:17:16

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 48m of true darkness · 12h 10m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:41

Civil Dusk18:02

Nautical18:27

Full Dark18:52

Nadir23:46

Dark Ends04:40

Nautical05:05

Civil Dawn05:30

Sunrise05:51

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE65.8°

DISTANCE379,686 km

Moonrise15:39

Moonset04:04

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX85% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

62/100

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	-40.2°	255°	Libra	05:47	11:41	17:28	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-63.3°	23°	Leo	01:22	07:34	13:50	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	55.0°	102°	Pisces	16:31	22:33	04:35	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-56.2°	34°	Cancer	00:46	07:01	13:18	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-20.1°	251°	Libra	07:15	13:05	18:51	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	6.5°	70°	Taurus	19:47	02:04	08:25	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	61.5°	110°	Pisces	16:02	22:03	04:04	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

RISES15:39

BEST TIME21:50S · 82° high

SETS04:04

Reaches about 82° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:22

BEST TIME07:34N · 86° high

SETS13:50

Reaches about 86° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:31

BEST TIME22:33S · 81° high

SETS04:35

Reaches about 81° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:47

BEST TIME11:41S · 62° high

SETS17:28

Reaches about 62° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:46

BEST TIME07:01N · 82° high

SETS13:18

Reaches about 82° 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.