OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

12.19°S, 44.24°EIndian/Comoro

Deep Astronomical Night-18.3° (< −18°)

19:16:48

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 8m of true darkness · 11h 33m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:00

Civil Dusk18:22

Nautical18:47

Full Dark19:13

Nadir23:47

Dark Ends04:21

Nautical04:46

Civil Dawn05:11

Sunrise05:33

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE50.6°

DISTANCE380,361 km

Moonrise15:37

Moonset03:55

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX71% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

67/100

Good Stargazing

Fine observing conditions. Open star clusters and nebulae will exhibit crisp structure.

CLOUD COVER15%

HUMIDITY50%

VISIBILITY18 km

DEW POINT10.8°C

PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

All times calibrated to Indian/Comoro

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-17.8°	246°	Libra	05:19	11:42	17:59	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-84.4°	294°	Leo	01:47	07:39	13:28	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	39.0°	78°	Pisces	16:34	22:34	04:34	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-83.4°	29°	Cancer	01:16	07:02	12:50	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	2.0°	249°	Libra	06:42	13:06	19:26	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-15.3°	71°	Taurus	20:23	02:05	07:52	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	46.6°	77°	Pisces	16:03	22:04	04:06	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

RISES15:37

BEST TIME21:47N · 75° high

SETS03:55

Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:47

BEST TIME07:39N · 63° high

SETS13:28

Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:34

BEST TIME22:34N · 76° high

SETS04:34

Reaches about 76° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:19

BEST TIME11:42S · 84° high

SETS17:59

Reaches about 84° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:16

BEST TIME07:02N · 60° high

SETS12:50

Reaches about 60° 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.