OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

3.38°S, 37.68°EAfrica/Nairobi

Deep Astronomical Night-32.1° (< −18°)

20:30:15

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 27m of true darkness · 11h 48m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:19

Civil Dusk18:40

Nautical19:05

Full Dark19:30

Nadir00:13

Dark Ends04:56

Nautical05:21

Civil Dawn05:46

Sunrise06:07

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE63.7°

DISTANCE380,086 km

Moonrise16:04

Moonset04:24

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX83% · 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	-32.2°	246°	Libra	05:57	12:08	18:13	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-77.1°	30°	Leo	02:04	08:02	14:03	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	52.0°	83°	Pisces	16:59	23:00	05:01	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-69.1°	45°	Cancer	01:31	07:28	13:28	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-11.9°	248°	Libra	07:22	13:32	19:39	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-1.2°	69°	Taurus	20:35	02:31	08:32	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	59.6°	85°	Pisces	16:29	22:30	04:32	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

RISES16:04

BEST TIME22:14N · 84° high

SETS04:24

Reaches about 84° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:04

BEST TIME08:02N · 72° high

SETS14:03

Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:59

BEST TIME23:00N · 85° high

SETS05:01

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

RISES05:57

BEST TIME12:08S · 75° high

SETS18:13

Reaches about 75° 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 TIME07:28N · 69° high

SETS13:28

Reaches about 69° 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.