OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

3.22°S, 40.12°EAfrica/Nairobi

Deep Astronomical Night-31.7° (< −18°)

20:18:42

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

Sunset18:09

Civil Dusk18:31

Nautical18:55

Full Dark19:20

Nadir00:03

Dark Ends04:47

Nautical05:11

Civil Dawn05:36

Sunrise05:57

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE63.4°

DISTANCE380,129 km

Moonrise15:54

Moonset04:14

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	-31.8°	246°	Libra	05:47	11:58	18:03	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-77.2°	28°	Leo	01:54	07:52	13:54	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	51.6°	84°	Pisces	16:50	22:50	04:51	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-69.3°	43°	Cancer	01:21	07:19	13:18	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-11.5°	248°	Libra	07:12	13:22	19:29	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-1.5°	69°	Taurus	20:25	02:22	08:22	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	59.2°	85°	Pisces	16:19	22:21	04:22	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

RISES15:54

BEST TIME22:04N · 84° high

SETS04:14

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:54

BEST TIME07:52N · 72° high

SETS13:54

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

RISES16:50

BEST TIME22:50N · 85° high

SETS04:51

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

RISES05:47

BEST TIME11:58S · 75° high

SETS18:03

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

RISES01:21

BEST TIME07:19N · 69° high

SETS13:18

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.