OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

26.48°S, 17.15°EAfrica/Windhoek

Daylight+1.8°

18:52:22

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 23m of true darkness · 11h 5m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:02

Civil Dusk19:26

Nautical19:55

Full Dark20:23

Nadir00:35

Dark Ends04:47

Nautical05:15

Civil Dawn05:44

Sunrise06:08

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE29.1°

DISTANCE380,227 km

Moonrise16:31

Moonset04:41

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX45% · Moderate Lunar Glow

Milky Way contrast is softened. Bright open clusters and double stars are optimal.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

26/100

Challenging Stargazing

High cloud cover or severe light interference. Recommend bright planetary observation or indoor planning.

CLOUD COVER15%

HUMIDITY50%

VISIBILITY18 km

DEW POINT10.8°C

PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

All times calibrated to Africa/Windhoek

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Rising / Setting	-4.3	3.1°	251°	Libra	05:46	12:30	19:08	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-64.8°	246°	Leo	02:51	08:27	14:00	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	19.2°	78°	Pisces	17:23	23:22	05:21	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-73.7°	241°	Cancer	02:25	07:52	13:17	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	22.4°	257°	Libra	07:08	13:54	20:39	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-35.5°	82°	Taurus	21:35	02:53	08:15	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	26.6°	76°	Pisces	16:50	22:52	04:55	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

RISES16:31

BEST TIME22:39N · 60° high

SETS04:41

Reaches about 60° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:51

BEST TIME08:27N · 49° high

SETS14:00

Reaches about 49° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:23

BEST TIME23:22N · 62° high

SETS05:21

Reaches about 62° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:46

BEST TIME12:30N · 82° high

SETS19:08

Reaches about 82° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:25

BEST TIME07:52N · 46° high

SETS13:17

Reaches about 46° 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.