OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

1.37°S, 38.01°EAfrica/Nairobi

Nautical Twilight-9.2° (−6° to −12°)

18:53:11

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

Sunset18:16

Civil Dusk18:37

Nautical19:02

Full Dark19:27

Nadir00:12

Dark Ends04:57

Nautical05:22

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

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE40.7°

DISTANCE380,450 km

Moonrise16:02

Moonset04:23

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX60% · Moderate Lunar Glow

Milky Way contrast is softened. Bright open clusters and double stars are optimal.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

51/100

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	-10.3°	251°	Libra	05:58	12:07	18:09	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-68.3°	308°	Leo	02:00	08:04	14:04	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	28.3°	88°	Pisces	16:58	22:59	05:00	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-71.2°	333°	Cancer	01:27	07:29	13:29	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	9.2°	249°	Libra	07:27	13:31	19:34	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-23.0°	68°	Taurus	20:31	02:30	08:33	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	35.8°	90°	Pisces	16:28	22:29	04:30	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

RISES16:02

BEST TIME22:13N · 86° high

SETS04:23

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:00

BEST TIME08:04N · 74° high

SETS14:04

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

RISES16:58

BEST TIME22:59N · 87° high

SETS05:00

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

RISES05:58

BEST TIME12:07S · 73° high

SETS18:09

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

RISES01:27

BEST TIME07:29N · 71° high

SETS13:29

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.