OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

3.40°S, 38.56°EAfrica/Nairobi

Deep Astronomical Night-52.1° (< −18°)

21:51:06

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

Sunset18:16

Civil Dusk18:37

Nautical19:02

Full Dark19:26

Nadir00:10

Dark Ends04:53

Nautical05:18

Civil Dawn05:42

Sunrise06:03

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE82.5°

DISTANCE379,783 km

Moonrise16:00

Moonset04:21

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX92% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

60/100

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	-50.9°	235°	Libra	05:53	12:05	18:10	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-60.3°	66°	Leo	02:00	07:58	14:00	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	72.8°	74°	Pisces	16:56	22:57	04:58	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-51.4°	65°	Cancer	01:27	07:25	13:24	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-31.3°	243°	Libra	07:18	13:28	19:35	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	17.8°	67°	Taurus	20:32	02:28	08:24	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	80.4°	72°	Pisces	16:26	22:27	04:28	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

RISES16:00

BEST TIME22:11N · 84° high

SETS04:21

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:00

BEST TIME07:58N · 72° high

SETS14:00

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

RISES16:56

BEST TIME22:57N · 85° high

SETS04:58

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

RISES05:53

BEST TIME12:05S · 75° high

SETS18:10

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

RISES01:27

BEST TIME07:25N · 69° high

SETS13:24

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.