OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

0.17°S, 34.92°EAfrica/Nairobi

Deep Astronomical Night-30.6° (< −18°)

20:31:40

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 33m of true darkness · 11h 53m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:28

Civil Dusk18:49

Nautical19:13

Full Dark19:38

Nadir00:24

Dark Ends05:10

Nautical05:35

Civil Dawn05:59

Sunrise06:21

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE61.7°

DISTANCE380,080 km

Moonrise16:15

Moonset04:37

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX82% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

63/100

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/Nairobi

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-31.2°	249°	Libra	06:12	12:19	18:20	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-75.1°	16°	Leo	02:11	08:13	14:17	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	49.9°	88°	Pisces	17:10	23:11	05:12	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-68.1°	35°	Cancer	01:38	07:39	13:43	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-10.9°	249°	Libra	07:38	13:43	19:45	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-2.3°	69°	Taurus	20:41	02:42	08:48	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	57.3°	90°	Pisces	16:40	22:41	04:43	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

RISES16:15

BEST TIME22:26N · 87° high

SETS04:37

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:11

BEST TIME08:13N · 76° high

SETS14:17

Reaches about 76° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:10

BEST TIME23:11N · 88° high

SETS05:12

Reaches about 88° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:12

BEST TIME12:19S · 72° high

SETS18:20

Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:38

BEST TIME07:39N · 72° high

SETS13:43

Reaches about 72° 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.