OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

32.47°N, 14.57°EAfrica/Tripoli

Astronomical Twilight-15.0° (−12° to −18°)

19:30:45

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 12h 52m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:20

Civil Dusk18:45

Nautical19:13

Full Dark19:42

Nadir00:46

Dark Ends05:49

Nautical06:18

Civil Dawn06:47

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%

ALTITUDE34.5°

DISTANCE380,084 km

Moonrise16:36

Moonset05:12

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX52% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

64/100

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	-19.7°	261°	Libra	07:20	12:40	17:54	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-40.2°	339°	Leo	01:55	08:37	15:17	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	25.3°	106°	Pisces	17:27	23:32	05:38	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-38.7°	350°	Cancer	01:11	08:03	14:52	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-3.9°	248°	Libra	08:58	14:04	19:10	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-6.5°	60°	Taurus	20:05	03:04	10:06	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	30.1°	112°	Pisces	17:02	23:03	05:03	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

RISES16:36

BEST TIME22:50S · 60° high

SETS05:12

Reaches about 60° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:55

BEST TIME08:37S · 72° high

SETS15:17

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

RISES17:27

BEST TIME23:32S · 59° high

SETS05:38

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

RISES07:20

BEST TIME12:40S · 40° high

SETS17:54

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

RISES01:11

BEST TIME08:03S · 76° high

SETS14:52

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.