OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

0.52°N, 35.27°EAfrica/Nairobi

Deep Astronomical Night-39.8° (< −18°)

21:07:25

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

Sunset18:26

Civil Dusk18:47

Nautical19:11

Full Dark19:36

Nadir00:23

Dark Ends05:10

Nautical05:34

Civil Dawn05:59

Sunrise06:20

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE70.9°

DISTANCE379,947 km

Moonrise16:14

Moonset04:35

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX88% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

61/100

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	-40.2°	247°	Libra	06:12	12:18	18:18	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-69.8°	41°	Leo	02:09	08:11	14:17	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	59.2°	88°	Pisces	17:09	23:10	05:11	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-61.4°	49°	Cancer	01:35	07:38	13:42	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-19.8°	248°	Libra	07:37	13:41	19:42	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	6.2°	69°	Taurus	20:39	02:41	08:43	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	66.6°	92°	Pisces	16:39	22:40	04:41	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

RISES16:14

BEST TIME22:24N · 88° high

SETS04:35

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:09

BEST TIME08:11N · 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

RISES17:09

BEST TIME23:10N · 89° high

SETS05:11

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

RISES06:12

BEST TIME12:18S · 71° high

SETS18:18

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

RISES01:35

BEST TIME07:38N · 73° high

SETS13:42

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.