OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

12.51°N, 39.52°EAfrica/Addis_Ababa

Deep Astronomical Night-20.8° (< −18°)

19:24:27

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 51m of true darkness · 12h 14m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:59

Civil Dusk18:20

Nautical18:45

Full Dark19:10

Nadir00:06

Dark Ends05:01

Nautical05:26

Civil Dawn05:51

Sunrise06:13

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE48.8°

DISTANCE380,332 km

Moonrise15:55

Moonset04:21

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX69% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

68/100

Good Stargazing

Fine observing conditions. Open star clusters and nebulae will exhibit crisp structure.

CLOUD COVER15%

HUMIDITY50%

VISIBILITY18 km

DEW POINT10.8°C

PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

All times calibrated to Africa/Addis_Ababa

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-23.3°	256°	Libra	06:10	12:01	17:45	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-61.7°	343°	Leo	01:40	07:58	14:12	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	37.0°	98°	Pisces	16:50	22:53	04:55	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-59.4°	1°	Cancer	01:03	07:21	13:41	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-3.9°	250°	Libra	07:42	13:25	19:07	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-8.8°	66°	Taurus	20:03	02:24	08:49	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	43.6°	103°	Pisces	16:22	22:23	04:24	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

RISES15:55

BEST TIME22:07S · 80° high

SETS04:21

Reaches about 80° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:40

BEST TIME07:58N · 88° high

SETS14:12

Reaches about 88° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:50

BEST TIME22:53S · 79° high

SETS04:55

Reaches about 79° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:10

BEST TIME12:01S · 59° high

SETS17:45

Reaches about 59° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:03

BEST TIME07:21N · 85° high

SETS13:41

Reaches about 85° 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.