OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

1.46°S, 36.98°EAfrica/Nairobi

Deep Astronomical Night-19.9° (< −18°)

19:41:11

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 30m of true darkness · 11h 51m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:20

Civil Dusk18:42

Nautical19:06

Full Dark19:31

Nadir00:16

Dark Ends05:01

Nautical05:26

Civil Dawn05:50

Sunrise06:11

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE51.3°

DISTANCE380,269 km

Moonrise16:07

Moonset04:28

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX72% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

67/100

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/Nairobi

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-20.7°	250°	Libra	06:02	12:11	18:14	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-75.5°	334°	Leo	02:05	08:08	14:08	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	39.2°	87°	Pisces	17:02	23:03	05:04	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-73.3°	7°	Cancer	01:31	07:31	13:33	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-0.5°	249°	Libra	07:27	13:35	19:38	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-12.7°	69°	Taurus	20:35	02:34	08:37	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	46.8°	89°	Pisces	16:32	22:33	04:35	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

RISES16:07

BEST TIME22:17N · 86° high

SETS04:28

Reaches about 86° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:05

BEST TIME08:08N · 74° high

SETS14:08

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

RISES17:02

BEST TIME23:03N · 87° high

SETS05:04

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

RISES06:02

BEST TIME12:11S · 73° high

SETS18:14

Reaches about 73° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:31

BEST TIME07:31N · 71° high

SETS13:33

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.