OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

5.53°N, 12.32°EAfrica/Douala

Civil Twilight-5.8° (0° to −6°)

18:16:47

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 42m of true darkness · 12h 2m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:53

Civil Dusk18:15

Nautical18:39

Full Dark19:04

Nadir23:55

Dark Ends04:45

Nautical05:10

Civil Dawn05:34

Sunrise05:56

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE35.3°

DISTANCE380,136 km

Moonrise15:48

Moonset04:12

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX53% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

38/100

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♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-7.9°	253°	Libra	05:49	11:49	17:43	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-60.1°	312°	Leo	01:36	07:46	13:54	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	23.6°	91°	Pisces	16:40	22:41	04:43	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-62.8°	330°	Cancer	01:01	07:12	13:21	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	11.1°	247°	Libra	07:20	13:13	19:06	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-24.5°	64°	Taurus	20:03	02:13	08:26	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	30.8°	94°	Pisces	16:10	22:12	04:13	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

RISES15:48

BEST TIME21:59S · 87° high

SETS04:12

Reaches about 87° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:36

BEST TIME07:46N · 81° high

SETS13:54

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

RISES16:40

BEST TIME22:41S · 86° high

SETS04:43

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

RISES05:49

BEST TIME11:49S · 66° high

SETS17:43

Reaches about 66° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:01

BEST TIME07:12N · 78° high

SETS13:21

Reaches about 78° 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.