OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

32.11°N, 20.07°EAfrica/Tripoli

Nautical Twilight-9.7° (−6° to −12°)

18:43:53

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

Sunset17:58

Civil Dusk18:23

Nautical18:52

Full Dark19:20

Nadir00:24

Dark Ends05:27

Nautical05:56

Civil Dawn06:24

Sunrise06:49

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE29.9°

DISTANCE380,259 km

Moonrise16:14

Moonset04:49

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX46% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

56/100

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	-14.4°	258°	Libra	07:04	12:18	17:33	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-38.3°	331°	Leo	01:33	08:15	14:54	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	20.2°	102°	Pisces	17:05	23:10	05:16	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-37.8°	343°	Cancer	00:50	07:41	14:30	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	0.9°	245°	Libra	08:36	13:42	18:49	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-11.2°	56°	Taurus	19:44	02:42	09:43	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	25.3°	108°	Pisces	16:40	22:41	04:41	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

RISES16:14

BEST TIME22:27S · 60° high

SETS04:49

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:33

BEST TIME08:15S · 72° high

SETS14:54

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

RISES17:05

BEST TIME23:10S · 59° high

SETS05:16

Reaches about 59° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES07:04

BEST TIME12:18S · 40° high

SETS17:33

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

RISES00:50

BEST TIME07:41S · 76° high

SETS14:30

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.