OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

14.08°S, 34.92°EAfrica/Blantyre

Deep Astronomical Night-47.1° (< −18°)

21:07:33

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 3m of true darkness · 11h 29m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:39

Civil Dusk18:01

Nautical18:27

Full Dark18:53

Nadir23:24

Dark Ends03:55

Nautical04:21

Civil Dawn04:47

Sunrise05:09

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE72.8°

DISTANCE379,722 km

Moonrise15:16

Moonset03:32

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX89% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

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/Blantyre

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-44.4°	226°	Libra	04:54	11:19	17:39	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-62.5°	86°	Leo	01:26	07:13	13:03	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	67.8°	47°	Pisces	16:11	22:11	04:11	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-54.3°	79°	Cancer	00:56	06:39	12:25	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-26.3°	237°	Libra	06:16	12:43	19:06	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	13.8°	64°	Taurus	20:03	01:42	07:22	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	73.9°	33°	Pisces	15:40	21:41	03:43	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

RISES15:16

BEST TIME21:26N · 73° high

SETS03:32

Reaches about 73° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:26

BEST TIME07:13N · 62° high

SETS13:03

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

RISES16:11

BEST TIME22:11N · 75° high

SETS04:11

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

RISES04:54

BEST TIME11:19S · 86° high

SETS17:39

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

RISES00:56

BEST TIME06:39N · 58° high

SETS12:25

Reaches about 58° 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.