OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

2.95°S, 12.70°EAfrica/Brazzaville

Nautical Twilight-8.5° (−6° to −12°)

18:33:03

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 27m of true darkness · 11h 48m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:59

Civil Dusk18:20

Nautical18:45

Full Dark19:09

Nadir23:53

Dark Ends04:37

Nautical05:01

Civil Dawn05:26

Sunrise05:47

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE39.4°

DISTANCE380,075 km

Moonrise15:47

Moonset04:07

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX59% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

51/100

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/Brazzaville

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-9.6°	251°	Libra	05:37	11:48	17:52	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-69.0°	304°	Leo	01:43	07:45	13:43	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	27.9°	87°	Pisces	16:39	22:40	04:41	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-72.5°	330°	Cancer	01:10	07:10	13:08	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	10.1°	249°	Libra	07:05	13:12	19:18	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-23.8°	68°	Taurus	20:14	02:11	08:12	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	35.5°	88°	Pisces	16:09	22:10	04:11	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

RISES15:47

BEST TIME21:57N · 84° high

SETS04:07

Reaches about 84° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:43

BEST TIME07:45N · 73° high

SETS13:43

Reaches about 73° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:39

BEST TIME22:40N · 86° high

SETS04:41

Reaches about 86° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:37

BEST TIME11:48S · 75° high

SETS17:52

Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:10

BEST TIME07:10N · 69° high

SETS13:08

Reaches about 69° 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.