OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

11.02°S, 33.86°EAfrica/Blantyre

Astronomical Twilight-14.9° (−12° to −18°)

18:42:55

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 10m of true darkness · 11h 35m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:41

Civil Dusk18:03

Nautical18:28

Full Dark18:53

Nadir23:28

Dark Ends04:03

Nautical04:29

Civil Dawn04:54

Sunrise05:16

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE47.0°

DISTANCE380,263 km

Moonrise15:20

Moonset03:38

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX68% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

58/100

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	-14.7°	248°	Libra	05:02	11:23	17:39	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-80.4°	292°	Leo	01:27	07:20	13:10	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	35.5°	80°	Pisces	16:15	22:15	04:16	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-83.1°	356°	Cancer	00:56	06:45	12:33	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	5.0°	250°	Libra	06:25	12:47	19:06	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-18.5°	71°	Taurus	20:02	01:47	07:35	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	43.2°	80°	Pisces	15:44	21:46	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 · 76° high

SETS03:38

Reaches about 76° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:27

BEST TIME07:20N · 65° high

SETS13:10

Reaches about 65° 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 · 78° high

SETS04:16

Reaches about 78° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:02

BEST TIME11:23S · 83° high

SETS17:39

Reaches about 83° 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 TIME06:45N · 61° high

SETS12:33

Reaches about 61° 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.