OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

0.48°S, 15.90°EAfrica/Brazzaville

Deep Astronomical Night-27.8° (< −18°)

19:36:53

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 32m of true darkness · 11h 52m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:44

Civil Dusk18:05

Nautical18:30

Full Dark18:54

Nadir23:40

Dark Ends04:26

Nautical04:51

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%

ALTITUDE58.4°

DISTANCE379,837 km

Moonrise15:33

Moonset03:55

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX79% · 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/Brazzaville

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-28.6°	249°	Libra	05:27	11:35	17:36	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-75.9°	6°	Leo	01:28	07:29	13:33	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	47.2°	87°	Pisces	16:26	22:27	04:28	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-69.8°	29°	Cancer	00:54	06:55	12:58	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-8.2°	249°	Libra	06:53	12:59	19:01	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-4.9°	69°	Taurus	19:58	01:58	08:03	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	54.7°	90°	Pisces	15:56	21:57	03:59	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

RISES15:33

BEST TIME21:44N · 87° high

SETS03:55

Reaches about 87° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:28

BEST TIME07:29N · 75° high

SETS13:33

Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:26

BEST TIME22:27N · 88° high

SETS04:28

Reaches about 88° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:27

BEST TIME11:35S · 72° high

SETS17:36

Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:54

BEST TIME06:55N · 72° high

SETS12:58

Reaches about 72° 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.