OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

13.93°N, 41.69°EAfrica/Asmara

Deep Astronomical Night-49.7° (< −18°)

21:13:19

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 53m of true darkness · 12h 16m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:49

Civil Dusk18:11

Nautical18:36

Full Dark19:01

Nadir23:57

Dark Ends04:53

Nautical05:18

Civil Dawn05:44

Sunrise06:05

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE73.7°

DISTANCE379,925 km

Moonrise15:46

Moonset04:13

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 Africa/Asmara

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-51.8°	259°	Libra	06:03	11:52	17:35	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-54.4°	38°	Leo	01:30	07:46	14:05	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	64.1°	117°	Pisces	16:41	22:44	04:47	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-46.3°	44°	Cancer	00:52	07:12	13:35	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-31.8°	254°	Libra	07:32	13:16	18:56	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	18.0°	72°	Taurus	19:52	02:15	08:39	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	69.1°	132°	Pisces	16:13	22:14	04:15	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

RISES15:46

BEST TIME21:58S · 78° high

SETS04:13

Reaches about 78° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:30

BEST TIME07:46N · 90° high

SETS14:05

Reaches about 90° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:41

BEST TIME22:44S · 78° high

SETS04:47

Reaches about 78° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:03

BEST TIME11:52S · 58° high

SETS17:35

Reaches about 58° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:52

BEST TIME07:12N · 86° high

SETS13:35

Reaches about 86° 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.