OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

11.50°S, 43.38°EIndian/Comoro

Deep Astronomical Night-29.0° (< −18°)

20:05:19

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 9m of true darkness · 11h 34m 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 Ends04:25

Nautical04:50

Civil Dawn05:15

Sunrise05:37

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE60.8°

DISTANCE380,179 km

Moonrise15:41

Moonset03:58

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX81% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

63/100

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	-28.1°	242°	Libra	05:24	11:45	18:01	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-83.4°	63°	Leo	01:49	07:39	13:32	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	49.9°	74°	Pisces	16:37	22:37	04:38	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-74.4°	64°	Cancer	01:19	07:06	12:54	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-8.2°	246°	Libra	06:46	13:09	19:29	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-4.6°	70°	Taurus	20:25	02:09	07:52	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	57.5°	72°	Pisces	16:06	22:08	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

RISES15:41

BEST TIME21:51N · 76° high

SETS03:58

Reaches about 76° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:49

BEST TIME07:39N · 64° high

SETS13:32

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

SETS04:38

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

RISES05:24

BEST TIME11:45S · 83° high

SETS18:01

Reaches about 83° 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 TIME07:06N · 61° high

SETS12:54

Reaches about 61° 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.