OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

11.92°S, 43.49°EIndian/Comoro

Deep Astronomical Night-43.6° (< −18°)

21:10:39

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

Sunset18:03

Civil Dusk18:25

Nautical18:50

Full Dark19:16

Nadir23:50

Dark Ends04:24

Nautical04:49

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%

ALTITUDE72.7°

DISTANCE379,934 km

Moonrise15:40

Moonset03:58

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX89% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

61/100

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 Indian/Comoro

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-41.6°	232°	Libra	05:23	11:45	18:02	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-67.8°	81°	Leo	01:49	07:39	13:31	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	64.6°	60°	Pisces	16:37	22:37	04:37	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-59.2°	75°	Cancer	01:19	07:05	12:53	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-22.6°	241°	Libra	06:45	13:09	19:29	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	9.7°	66°	Taurus	20:25	02:08	07:51	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	71.7°	52°	Pisces	16:06	22:07	04:09	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

RISES15:40

BEST TIME21:50N · 76° high

SETS03:58

Reaches about 76° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:49

BEST TIME07:39N · 64° high

SETS13:31

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:37

BEST TIME22:37N · 77° high

SETS04:37

Reaches about 77° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:23

BEST TIME11:45S · 84° high

SETS18:02

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

RISES01:19

BEST TIME07:05N · 60° high

SETS12:53

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.