OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

0.54°S, 37.46°EAfrica/Nairobi

Astronomical Twilight-16.1° (−12° to −18°)

19:22:44

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 32m of true darkness · 11h 52m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:18

Civil Dusk18:39

Nautical19:03

Full Dark19:28

Nadir00:14

Dark Ends05:00

Nautical05:24

Civil Dawn05:49

Sunrise06:10

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE47.4°

DISTANCE380,339 km

Moonrise16:05

Moonset04:26

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX68% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

58/100

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	-17.1°	251°	Libra	06:01	12:09	18:11	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-72.5°	324°	Leo	02:02	08:06	14:07	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	35.1°	88°	Pisces	17:00	23:01	05:02	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-72.4°	354°	Cancer	01:28	07:31	13:32	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	2.7°	249°	Libra	07:30	13:33	19:35	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-16.3°	68°	Taurus	20:32	02:32	08:37	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	42.6°	90°	Pisces	16:30	22:31	04:33	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

RISES16:05

BEST TIME22:15N · 87° high

SETS04:26

Reaches about 87° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:02

BEST TIME08:06N · 75° high

SETS14:07

Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:00

BEST TIME23:01N · 88° high

SETS05:02

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

RISES06:01

BEST TIME12:09S · 72° high

SETS18:11

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

RISES01:28

BEST TIME07:31N · 72° high

SETS13:32

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.