OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

15.81°S, 35.65°EAfrica/Blantyre

Deep Astronomical Night-25.4° (< −18°)

19:27:20

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 58m of true darkness · 11h 26m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:38

Civil Dusk18:00

Nautical18:26

Full Dark18:52

Nadir23:21

Dark Ends03:50

Nautical04:16

Civil Dawn04:42

Sunrise05:04

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE56.6°

DISTANCE380,096 km

Moonrise15:13

Moonset03:29

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX77% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

65/100

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/Blantyre

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-24.1°	241°	Libra	04:48	11:16	17:38	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-86.0°	110°	Leo	01:25	07:10	12:58	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	46.5°	70°	Pisces	16:09	22:08	04:08	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-77.9°	78°	Cancer	00:55	06:36	12:19	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-4.5°	247°	Libra	06:10	12:40	19:06	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-8.1°	71°	Taurus	20:03	01:39	07:16	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	54.0°	68°	Pisces	15:37	21:39	03:40	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

RISES15:13

BEST TIME21:23N · 72° high

SETS03:29

Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:25

BEST TIME07:10N · 60° high

SETS12:58

Reaches about 60° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:09

BEST TIME22:08N · 73° high

SETS04:08

Reaches about 73° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES04:48

BEST TIME11:16S · 88° high

SETS17:38

Reaches about 88° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:55

BEST TIME06:36N · 56° high

SETS12:19

Reaches about 56° 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.