OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

0.46°N, 34.11°EAfrica/Nairobi

Deep Astronomical Night-49.2° (< −18°)

21:51:05

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 34m of true darkness · 11h 54m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:30

Civil Dusk18:51

Nautical19:16

Full Dark19:41

Nadir00:27

Dark Ends05:14

Nautical05:39

Civil Dawn06:03

Sunrise06:24

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE80.4°

DISTANCE379,784 km

Moonrise16:18

Moonset04:40

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX92% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

60/100

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	-49.1°	242°	Libra	06:16	12:22	18:23	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-62.4°	56°	Leo	02:14	08:16	14:21	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	69.0°	87°	Pisces	17:13	23:14	05:16	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-53.5°	58°	Cancer	01:40	07:43	13:47	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-28.9°	246°	Libra	07:42	13:46	19:47	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	15.2°	68°	Taurus	20:43	02:46	08:48	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	76.4°	94°	Pisces	16:43	22:45	04:46	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

RISES16:18

BEST TIME22:29N · 88° high

SETS04:40

Reaches about 88° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:14

BEST TIME08:16N · 76° high

SETS14:21

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

RISES17:13

BEST TIME23:14N · 89° high

SETS05:16

Reaches about 89° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:16

BEST TIME12:22S · 71° high

SETS18:23

Reaches about 71° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:40

BEST TIME07:43N · 73° high

SETS13:47

Reaches about 73° 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.