OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

12.06°N, 15.30°EAfrica/Ndjamena

Daylight+3.7°

17:18:25

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 51m of true darkness · 12h 13m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:36

Civil Dusk17:58

Nautical18:22

Full Dark18:47

Nadir23:43

Dark Ends04:38

Nautical05:03

Civil Dawn05:28

Sunrise05:49

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE23.8°

DISTANCE380,355 km

Moonrise15:35

Moonset04:01

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX37% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

29/100

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/Ndjamena

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Rising / Setting	-4.3	0.9°	251°	Libra	05:52	11:37	17:22	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-47.0°	307°	Leo	01:17	07:34	13:49	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	12.0°	91°	Pisces	16:27	22:29	04:32	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-50.8°	320°	Cancer	00:40	07:00	13:17	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	18.8°	243°	Libra	07:18	13:01	18:44	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-31.2°	56°	Taurus	19:40	02:01	08:25	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	18.9°	95°	Pisces	15:59	22:00	04:01	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

RISES15:35

BEST TIME21:47S · 80° high

SETS04:01

Reaches about 80° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:17

BEST TIME07:34N · 88° high

SETS13:49

Reaches about 88° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:27

BEST TIME22:29S · 79° high

SETS04:32

Reaches about 79° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:52

BEST TIME11:37S · 60° high

SETS17:22

Reaches about 60° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:40

BEST TIME07:00N · 84° high

SETS13:17

Reaches about 84° 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.