OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

26.59°N, 12.78°EAfrica/Tripoli

Astronomical Twilight-16.9° (−12° to −18°)

19:48:21

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 4m of true darkness · 12h 40m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:33

Civil Dusk18:57

Nautical19:24

Full Dark19:51

Nadir00:53

Dark Ends05:55

Nautical06:22

Civil Dawn06:49

Sunrise07:13

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE38.9°

DISTANCE380,018 km

Moonrise16:44

Moonset05:17

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX58% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

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/Tripoli

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-21.0°	260°	Libra	07:17	12:47	18:11	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-46.6°	340°	Leo	02:10	08:45	15:16	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	29.0°	104°	Pisces	17:35	23:39	05:44	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-44.9°	353°	Cancer	01:29	08:10	14:49	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-3.8°	249°	Libra	08:53	14:11	19:29	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-7.4°	62°	Taurus	20:25	03:11	10:01	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	34.4°	111°	Pisces	17:09	23:10	05:11	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

RISES16:44

BEST TIME22:57S · 66° high

SETS05:17

Reaches about 66° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:10

BEST TIME08:45S · 78° high

SETS15:16

Reaches about 78° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:35

BEST TIME23:39S · 65° high

SETS05:44

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES07:17

BEST TIME12:47S · 45° high

SETS18:11

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

RISES01:29

BEST TIME08:10S · 81° high

SETS14:49

Reaches about 81° 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.