OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

9.14°N, 18.39°EAfrica/Ndjamena

Deep Astronomical Night-30.7° (< −18°)

19:31:09

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 47m of true darkness · 12h 8m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:26

Civil Dusk17:47

Nautical18:12

Full Dark18:37

Nadir23:30

Dark Ends04:24

Nautical04:48

Civil Dawn05:13

Sunrise05:34

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE59.0°

DISTANCE379,858 km

Moonrise15:22

Moonset03:48

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX80% · Heavy Lunar Wash

Bright moonlight washes out deep sky targets. Focus on lunar craters and bright planets.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

64/100

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	-32.7°	254°	Libra	05:30	11:25	17:14	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-66.2°	6°	Leo	01:08	07:19	13:33	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	47.8°	98°	Pisces	16:15	22:17	04:19	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-60.6°	22°	Cancer	00:32	06:45	13:01	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-12.6°	250°	Libra	06:58	12:49	18:36	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-0.4°	69°	Taurus	19:33	01:48	08:08	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	54.6°	104°	Pisces	15:46	21:47	03:48	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

RISES15:22

BEST TIME21:34S · 83° high

SETS03:48

Reaches about 83° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:08

BEST TIME07:19N · 85° high

SETS13:33

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

RISES16:15

BEST TIME22:17S · 82° high

SETS04:19

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

RISES05:30

BEST TIME11:25S · 63° high

SETS17:14

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

RISES00:32

BEST TIME06:45N · 81° high

SETS13:01

Reaches about 81° 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.