OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

6.04°N, 0.45°WAfrica/Accra

Nautical Twilight-7.0° (−6° to −12°)

18:12:13

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 42m of true darkness · 12h 3m 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

Nadir23:46

Dark Ends04:37

Nautical05:01

Civil Dawn05:26

Sunrise05:47

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE35.9°

DISTANCE379,929 km

Moonrise15:40

Moonset04:05

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX54% · Moderate Lunar Glow

Milky Way contrast is softened. Bright open clusters and double stars are optimal.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

53/100

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/Accra

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-9.2°	253°	Libra	05:41	11:40	17:33	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-60.6°	315°	Leo	01:26	07:37	13:45	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	24.7°	91°	Pisces	16:30	22:32	04:34	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-62.9°	333°	Cancer	00:51	07:03	13:12	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	9.8°	247°	Libra	07:12	13:04	18:56	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-23.2°	64°	Taurus	19:53	02:03	08:18	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	31.9°	94°	Pisces	16:01	22:03	04:04	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

RISES15:40

BEST TIME21:52S · 87° high

SETS04:05

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:26

BEST TIME07:37N · 82° high

SETS13:45

Reaches about 82° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:30

BEST TIME22:32S · 85° high

SETS04:34

Reaches about 85° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:41

BEST TIME11:40S · 66° high

SETS17:33

Reaches about 66° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:51

BEST TIME07:03N · 78° high

SETS13:12

Reaches about 78° 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.