OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

21.93°S, 15.83°EAfrica/Windhoek

Deep Astronomical Night-24.9° (< −18°)

20:55:31

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 40m of true darkness · 11h 14m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:03

Civil Dusk19:26

Nautical19:53

Full Dark20:20

Nadir00:40

Dark Ends05:00

Nautical05:28

Civil Dawn05:55

Sunrise06:18

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE54.0°

DISTANCE379,767 km

Moonrise16:36

Moonset04:48

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX75% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

66/100

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/Windhoek

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-22.9°	238°	Libra	05:58	12:35	19:06	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-80.4°	141°	Leo	02:51	08:29	14:10	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	46.1°	63°	Pisces	17:28	23:27	05:26	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-75.6°	104°	Cancer	02:23	07:56	13:30	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-4.0°	245°	Libra	07:18	13:59	20:36	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-8.1°	71°	Taurus	21:32	02:58	08:25	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	53.1°	58°	Pisces	16:56	22:58	05:00	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

RISES16:36

BEST TIME22:44N · 65° high

SETS04:48

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:51

BEST TIME08:29N · 54° high

SETS14:10

Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:28

BEST TIME23:27N · 67° high

SETS05:26

Reaches about 67° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:58

BEST TIME12:35N · 86° high

SETS19:06

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

RISES02:23

BEST TIME07:56N · 50° high

SETS13:30

Reaches about 50° 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.