OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

13.78°S, 34.46°EAfrica/Blantyre

Nautical Twilight-9.7° (−6° to −12°)

18:21:20

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

Sunset17:41

Civil Dusk18:03

Nautical18:28

Full Dark18:54

Nadir23:26

Dark Ends03:58

Nautical04:23

Civil Dawn04:49

Sunrise05:11

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE41.9°

DISTANCE380,344 km

Moonrise15:18

Moonset03:34

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX62% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

50/100

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	-9.3°	249°	Libra	04:56	11:21	17:40	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-76.4°	274°	Leo	01:27	07:18	13:05	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	30.4°	80°	Pisces	16:13	22:13	04:13	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-83.4°	309°	Cancer	00:57	06:43	12:27	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	10.2°	251°	Libra	06:22	12:45	19:08	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-23.9°	73°	Taurus	20:04	01:44	07:28	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	38.1°	79°	Pisces	15:42	21:43	03:45	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

RISES15:18

BEST TIME21:28N · 74° high

SETS03:34

Reaches about 74° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:27

BEST TIME07:18N · 62° high

SETS13:05

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

RISES16:13

BEST TIME22:13N · 75° high

SETS04:13

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

RISES04:56

BEST TIME11:21S · 86° high

SETS17:40

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

RISES00:57

BEST TIME06:43N · 58° high

SETS12:27

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.