OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

3.87°N, 11.52°EAfrica/Douala

Daylight+5.5°

17:33:20

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 39m of true darkness · 12h 0m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:58

Civil Dusk18:19

Nautical18:44

Full Dark19:08

Nadir23:58

Dark Ends04:47

Nautical05:12

Civil Dawn05:36

Sunrise05:57

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE23.9°

DISTANCE380,299 km

Moonrise15:51

Moonset04:14

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX37% · Moderate Lunar Glow

Milky Way contrast is softened. Bright open clusters and double stars are optimal.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

29/100

Challenging Stargazing

High cloud cover or severe light interference. Recommend bright planetary observation or indoor planning.

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♀	Rising / Setting	-4.3	3.3°	252°	Libra	05:57	11:52	17:48	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-51.5°	299°	Leo	01:41	07:50	13:55	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	12.0°	89°	Pisces	16:43	22:45	04:46	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-56.7°	312°	Cancer	01:06	07:15	13:22	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	22.4°	245°	Libra	07:21	13:16	19:12	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-35.6°	60°	Taurus	20:08	02:16	08:27	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	19.3°	92°	Pisces	16:14	22:15	04:16	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

RISES15:51

BEST TIME22:02S · 89° high

SETS04:14

Reaches about 89° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:41

BEST TIME07:50N · 80° high

SETS13:55

Reaches about 80° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:43

BEST TIME22:45S · 88° high

SETS04:46

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

RISES05:57

BEST TIME11:52S · 68° high

SETS17:48

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

RISES01:06

BEST TIME07:15N · 76° high

SETS13:22

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.