OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

31.76°N, 25.07°EAfrica/Tripoli

Astronomical Twilight-16.0° (−12° to −18°)

18:53:41

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 7m of true darkness · 12h 51m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:38

Civil Dusk18:03

Nautical18:32

Full Dark19:00

Nadir00:04

Dark Ends05:07

Nautical05:36

Civil Dawn06:04

Sunrise06:29

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE35.9°

DISTANCE380,223 km

Moonrise15:53

Moonset04:28

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX54% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

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/Tripoli

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-20.6°	261°	Libra	06:37	11:58	17:13	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-41.3°	340°	Leo	01:14	07:55	14:34	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	26.4°	106°	Pisces	16:45	22:50	04:56	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-39.6°	352°	Cancer	00:30	07:21	14:09	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-4.6°	249°	Libra	08:15	13:22	18:30	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-6.0°	60°	Taurus	19:25	02:22	09:22	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	31.3°	113°	Pisces	16:20	22:21	04:21	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

RISES15:53

BEST TIME22:06S · 60° high

SETS04:28

Reaches about 60° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:14

BEST TIME07:55S · 73° high

SETS14:34

Reaches about 73° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:45

BEST TIME22:50S · 60° high

SETS04:56

Reaches about 60° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:37

BEST TIME11:58S · 40° high

SETS17:13

Reaches about 40° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:30

BEST TIME07:21S · 76° high

SETS14:09

Reaches about 76° 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.