OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

9.45°N, 18.94°EAfrica/Ndjamena

Nautical Twilight-10.5° (−6° to −12°)

18:06:19

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 47m of true darkness · 12h 9m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:24

Civil Dusk17:45

Nautical18:10

Full Dark18:34

Nadir23:28

Dark Ends04:22

Nautical04:46

Civil Dawn05:11

Sunrise05:32

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE39.1°

DISTANCE380,175 km

Moonrise15:20

Moonset03:45

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX58% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

51/100

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/Ndjamena

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-12.9°	254°	Libra	05:28	11:23	17:11	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-59.9°	323°	Leo	01:05	07:20	13:31	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	27.4°	93°	Pisces	16:13	22:15	04:17	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-60.9°	341°	Cancer	00:29	06:45	12:59	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	6.0°	248°	Libra	07:00	12:47	18:34	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-19.1°	64°	Taurus	19:30	01:46	08:06	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	34.4°	97°	Pisces	15:44	21:45	03:46	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

RISES15:20

BEST TIME21:32S · 83° high

SETS03:45

Reaches about 83° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:05

BEST TIME07:20N · 85° high

SETS13:31

Reaches about 85° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:13

BEST TIME22:15S · 82° high

SETS04:17

Reaches about 82° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:28

BEST TIME11:23S · 63° high

SETS17:11

Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:29

BEST TIME06:45N · 82° high

SETS12:59

Reaches about 82° 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.