OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

13.65°S, 33.94°EAfrica/Blantyre

Deep Astronomical Night-38.0° (< −18°)

20:26:58

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 4m of true darkness · 11h 30m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:43

Civil Dusk18:05

Nautical18:30

Full Dark18:56

Nadir23:28

Dark Ends04:00

Nautical04:26

Civil Dawn04:51

Sunrise05:13

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE67.7°

DISTANCE379,874 km

Moonrise15:20

Moonset03:37

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX86% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

62/100

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/Blantyre

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-36.3°	235°	Libra	04:58	11:23	17:42	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-73.3°	85°	Leo	01:29	07:17	13:07	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	59.1°	63°	Pisces	16:15	22:15	04:15	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-64.9°	77°	Cancer	00:59	06:43	12:29	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-17.1°	242°	Libra	06:20	12:47	19:10	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	4.2°	67°	Taurus	20:06	01:46	07:26	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	66.4°	58°	Pisces	15:44	21:45	03:47	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

RISES15:20

BEST TIME21:30N · 74° high

SETS03:37

Reaches about 74° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:29

BEST TIME07:17N · 62° high

SETS13:07

Reaches about 62° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:15

BEST TIME22:15N · 75° high

SETS04:15

Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES04:58

BEST TIME11:23S · 86° high

SETS17:42

Reaches about 86° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:59

BEST TIME06:43N · 59° high

SETS12:29

Reaches about 59° 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.