OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

12.18°N, 18.69°EAfrica/Ndjamena

Daylight+6.8°

16:51:32

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

Sunset17:22

Civil Dusk17:44

Nautical18:09

Full Dark18:34

Nadir23:29

Dark Ends04:24

Nautical04:49

Civil Dawn05:14

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

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE20.7°

DISTANCE380,456 km

Moonrise15:21

Moonset03:47

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX33% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

30/100

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	3.7°	251°	Libra	05:39	11:24	17:09	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-44.3°	305°	Leo	01:03	07:21	13:35	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Rising / Setting	0.3	8.8°	90°	Pisces	16:13	22:16	04:18	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-48.5°	316°	Cancer	00:26	06:46	13:04	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	21.6°	241°	Libra	07:05	12:48	18:30	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-33.9°	54°	Taurus	19:27	01:47	08:12	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	15.6°	94°	Pisces	15:45	21:46	03:47	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

RISES15:21

BEST TIME21:33S · 80° high

SETS03:47

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:03

BEST TIME07:21N · 88° high

SETS13:35

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

RISES16:13

BEST TIME22:16S · 79° high

SETS04:18

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

RISES05:39

BEST TIME11:24S · 60° high

SETS17:09

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

RISES00:26

BEST TIME06:46N · 84° high

SETS13:04

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.