OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

2.65°S, 10.00°EAfrica/Libreville

Deep Astronomical Night-24.8° (< −18°)

19:50:15

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 28m of true darkness · 11h 49m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:09

Civil Dusk18:31

Nautical18:55

Full Dark19:20

Nadir00:04

Dark Ends04:48

Nautical05:12

Civil Dawn05:37

Sunrise05:58

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE55.5°

DISTANCE379,787 km

Moonrise15:58

Moonset04:19

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX77% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

65/100

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/Libreville

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-25.4°	249°	Libra	05:48	11:58	18:03	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-78.1°	355°	Leo	01:53	07:56	13:54	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	44.5°	85°	Pisces	16:50	22:51	04:52	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-73.0°	25°	Cancer	01:20	07:19	13:19	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-5.1°	249°	Libra	07:13	13:22	19:28	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-8.1°	69°	Taurus	20:24	02:22	08:23	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	52.1°	87°	Pisces	16:20	22:21	04:22	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

RISES15:58

BEST TIME22:09N · 84° high

SETS04:19

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:53

BEST TIME07:56N · 73° high

SETS13:54

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

RISES16:50

BEST TIME22:51N · 86° high

SETS04:52

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

RISES05:48

BEST TIME11:58S · 75° high

SETS18:03

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

RISES01:20

BEST TIME07:19N · 70° high

SETS13:19

Reaches about 70° 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.