OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

27.45°N, 13.05°EAfrica/Tripoli

Deep Astronomical Night-31.3° (< −18°)

20:51:27

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 5m of true darkness · 12h 41m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:31

Civil Dusk18:55

Nautical19:22

Full Dark19:49

Nadir00:52

Dark Ends05:54

Nautical06:21

Civil Dawn06:49

Sunrise07:12

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE51.0°

DISTANCE379,782 km

Moonrise16:43

Moonset05:16

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX72% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

67/100

Good Stargazing

Fine observing conditions. Open star clusters and nebulae will exhibit crisp structure.

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	-35.5°	267°	Libra	07:17	12:46	18:09	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-47.8°	3°	Leo	02:08	08:40	15:16	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	42.2°	116°	Pisces	17:34	23:38	05:43	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-43.1°	14°	Cancer	01:26	08:07	14:49	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-17.8°	255°	Libra	08:54	14:10	19:26	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	5.5°	69°	Taurus	20:22	03:10	10:01	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	46.7°	124°	Pisces	17:08	23:09	05:09	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

RISES16:43

BEST TIME22:56S · 65° high

SETS05:16

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:08

BEST TIME08:40S · 77° high

SETS15:16

Reaches about 77° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:34

BEST TIME23:38S · 64° high

SETS05:43

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES07:17

BEST TIME12:46S · 45° high

SETS18:09

Reaches about 45° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:26

BEST TIME08:07S · 80° high

SETS14:49

Reaches about 80° 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.