OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

4.97°N, 10.70°EAfrica/Douala

Daylight+12.3°

17:07:02

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 41m of true darkness · 12h 1m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:00

Civil Dusk18:21

Nautical18:46

Full Dark19:11

Nadir00:01

Dark Ends04:51

Nautical05:16

Civil Dawn05:41

Sunrise06:02

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE16.7°

DISTANCE380,398 km

Moonrise15:54

Moonset04:18

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX26% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

33/100

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	9.8°	251°	Libra	06:01	11:56	17:50	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-44.4°	296°	Leo	01:43	07:53	13:59	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Rising / Setting	0.3	4.7°	89°	Pisces	16:46	22:48	04:49	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-50.2°	306°	Cancer	01:08	07:18	13:26	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	28.5°	243°	Libra	07:26	13:20	19:13	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-41.4°	56°	Taurus	20:10	02:19	08:32	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	11.9°	91°	Pisces	16:17	22:18	04:19	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

RISES15:54

BEST TIME22:06S · 88° high

SETS04:18

Reaches about 88° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:43

BEST TIME07:53N · 81° high

SETS13:59

Reaches about 81° 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 · 86° high

SETS04:49

Reaches about 86° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:01

BEST TIME11:56S · 67° high

SETS17:50

Reaches about 67° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:08

BEST TIME07:18N · 77° high

SETS13:26

Reaches about 77° 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.