OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

12.82°S, 45.11°EIndian/Mayotte

Deep Astronomical Night-48.3° (< −18°)

21:28:59

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 6m of true darkness · 11h 31m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:58

Civil Dusk18:19

Nautical18:45

Full Dark19:10

Nadir23:43

Dark Ends04:16

Nautical04:42

Civil Dawn05:07

Sunrise05:29

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE74.4°

DISTANCE379,866 km

Moonrise15:34

Moonset03:51

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 Indian/Mayotte

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-45.7°	226°	Libra	05:15	11:39	17:56	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-61.8°	83°	Leo	01:44	07:32	13:24	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	69.0°	48°	Pisces	16:31	22:31	04:31	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-53.5°	77°	Cancer	01:14	06:59	12:46	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-27.4°	238°	Libra	06:37	13:02	19:24	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	14.8°	64°	Taurus	20:20	02:02	07:43	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	75.2°	34°	Pisces	15:59	22:01	04:02	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

RISES15:34

BEST TIME21:44N · 75° high

SETS03:51

Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:44

BEST TIME07:32N · 63° high

SETS13:24

Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:31

BEST TIME22:31N · 76° high

SETS04:31

Reaches about 76° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:15

BEST TIME11:39S · 85° high

SETS17:56

Reaches about 85° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:14

BEST TIME06:59N · 59° high

SETS12:46

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.