OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

4.09°N, 9.31°EAfrica/Douala

Deep Astronomical Night-24.6° (< −18°)

19:46:13

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 40m of true darkness · 12h 0m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:07

Civil Dusk18:28

Nautical18:52

Full Dark19:17

Nadir00:07

Dark Ends04:56

Nautical05:21

Civil Dawn05:45

Sunrise06:06

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE54.2°

DISTANCE379,802 km

Moonrise16:00

Moonset04:24

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	-26.1°	252°	Libra	06:00	12:01	17:57	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-71.2°	352°	Leo	01:49	07:58	14:04	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	43.0°	92°	Pisces	16:52	22:53	04:55	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-67.1°	14°	Cancer	01:14	07:22	13:31	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-5.9°	249°	Libra	07:26	13:25	19:20	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-7.2°	68°	Taurus	20:17	02:24	08:36	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	50.2°	96°	Pisces	16:22	22:24	04:25	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

RISES16:00

BEST TIME22:11S · 89° high

SETS04:24

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:49

BEST TIME07:58N · 80° high

SETS14:04

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

RISES16:52

BEST TIME22:53S · 87° high

SETS04:55

Reaches about 87° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:00

BEST TIME12:01S · 68° high

SETS17:57

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

RISES01:14

BEST TIME07:22N · 76° high

SETS13:31

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.