OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

4.23°N, 10.62°EAfrica/Douala

Astronomical Twilight-13.8° (−12° to −18°)

18:57:08

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

Sunset18:01

Civil Dusk18:22

Nautical18:47

Full Dark19:11

Nadir00:01

Dark Ends04:51

Nautical05:16

Civil Dawn05:40

Sunrise06:01

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE43.4°

DISTANCE379,985 km

Moonrise15:55

Moonset04:18

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX64% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

59/100

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	-15.6°	252°	Libra	05:55	11:56	17:51	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-66.8°	324°	Leo	01:44	07:53	13:59	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	32.0°	91°	Pisces	16:46	22:48	04:50	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-67.1°	347°	Cancer	01:09	07:18	13:26	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	3.9°	249°	Libra	07:25	13:20	19:15	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-17.4°	66°	Taurus	20:11	02:19	08:31	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	39.3°	94°	Pisces	16:17	22:18	04:20	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

RISES15:55

BEST TIME22:06S · 89° high

SETS04:18

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:44

BEST TIME07:53N · 80° high

SETS13:59

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

RISES16:46

BEST TIME22:48S · 87° high

SETS04:50

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

RISES05:55

BEST TIME11:56S · 68° high

SETS17:51

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

RISES01:09

BEST TIME07:18N · 76° high

SETS13:26

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.