OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

1.35°S, 36.67°EAfrica/Nairobi

Deep Astronomical Night-38.6° (< −18°)

20:58:53

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

Sunset18:22

Civil Dusk18:43

Nautical19:07

Full Dark19:32

Nadir00:17

Dark Ends05:02

Nautical05:27

Civil Dawn05:51

Sunrise06:13

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE70.0°

DISTANCE379,978 km

Moonrise16:08

Moonset04:29

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX87% · 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	-38.7°	245°	Libra	06:04	12:12	18:15	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-71.7°	43°	Leo	02:06	08:06	14:09	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	58.4°	85°	Pisces	17:03	23:04	05:05	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-63.1°	50°	Cancer	01:32	07:32	13:34	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-18.4°	247°	Libra	07:29	13:36	19:39	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	4.8°	69°	Taurus	20:36	02:35	08:35	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	65.9°	88°	Pisces	16:33	22:34	04:36	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

RISES16:08

BEST TIME22:18N · 86° high

SETS04:29

Reaches about 86° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:06

BEST TIME08:06N · 74° high

SETS14:09

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

RISES17:03

BEST TIME23:04N · 87° high

SETS05:05

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

RISES06:04

BEST TIME12:12S · 73° high

SETS18:15

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

RISES01:32

BEST TIME07:32N · 71° high

SETS13:34

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.