OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

1.62°S, 11.61°EAfrica/Libreville

Deep Astronomical Night-22.5° (< −18°)

19:33:28

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 30m of true darkness · 11h 50m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:02

Civil Dusk18:23

Nautical18:48

Full Dark19:12

Nadir23:57

Dark Ends04:42

Nautical05:07

Civil Dawn05:31

Sunrise05:53

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE53.2°

DISTANCE379,849 km

Moonrise15:51

Moonset04:12

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX74% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

66/100

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	-23.4°	250°	Libra	05:43	11:52	17:55	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-76.6°	344°	Leo	01:46	07:49	13:49	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	42.0°	87°	Pisces	16:43	22:44	04:45	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-72.9°	16°	Cancer	01:13	07:13	13:14	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-3.0°	249°	Libra	07:08	13:16	19:20	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-10.2°	69°	Taurus	20:16	02:15	08:18	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	49.5°	89°	Pisces	16:13	22:14	04:16	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

RISES15:51

BEST TIME22:02N · 86° high

SETS04:12

Reaches about 86° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:46

BEST TIME07:49N · 74° high

SETS13:49

Reaches about 74° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:43

BEST TIME22:44N · 87° high

SETS04:45

Reaches about 87° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:43

BEST TIME11:52S · 74° high

SETS17:55

Reaches about 74° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:13

BEST TIME07:13N · 71° high

SETS13:14

Reaches about 71° 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.