OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

8.34°N, 17.77°EAfrica/Ndjamena

Astronomical Twilight-15.0° (−12° to −18°)

18:30:14

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 46m of true darkness · 12h 7m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:29

Civil Dusk17:51

Nautical18:15

Full Dark18:40

Nadir23:33

Dark Ends04:26

Nautical04:50

Civil Dawn05:15

Sunrise05:36

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE43.8°

DISTANCE380,086 km

Moonrise15:25

Moonset03:50

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/Ndjamena

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-17.2°	254°	Libra	05:31	11:27	17:17	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-63.5°	330°	Leo	01:11	07:25	13:35	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	32.2°	94°	Pisces	16:18	22:20	04:22	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-63.2°	350°	Cancer	00:35	06:50	13:03	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	2.1°	249°	Libra	07:03	12:51	18:40	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-15.3°	65°	Taurus	19:36	01:51	08:09	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	39.3°	97°	Pisces	15:49	21:50	03:51	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

RISES15:25

BEST TIME21:36S · 84° high

SETS03:50

Reaches about 84° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:11

BEST TIME07:25N · 84° high

SETS13:35

Reaches about 84° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:18

BEST TIME22:20S · 83° high

SETS04:22

Reaches about 83° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:31

BEST TIME11:27S · 64° high

SETS17:17

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:35

BEST TIME06:50N · 80° high

SETS13:03

Reaches about 80° 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.