OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

20.37°S, 14.97°EAfrica/Windhoek

Daylight+8.6°

18:24:59

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 45m of true darkness · 11h 18m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:05

Civil Dusk19:28

Nautical19:54

Full Dark20:21

Nadir00:44

Dark Ends05:06

Nautical05:33

Civil Dawn06:00

Sunrise06:23

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE22.9°

DISTANCE380,330 km

Moonrise16:39

Moonset04:52

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX36% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

29/100

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	9.1°	254°	Libra	06:04	12:39	19:07	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-58.3°	264°	Leo	02:53	08:36	14:16	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	11.9°	84°	Pisces	17:31	23:31	05:30	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-67.1°	268°	Cancer	02:24	08:01	13:35	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	29.1°	257°	Libra	07:28	14:02	20:37	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-42.8°	80°	Taurus	21:33	03:02	08:35	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	19.5°	83°	Pisces	16:59	23:01	05:03	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

RISES16:39

BEST TIME22:48N · 67° high

SETS04:52

Reaches about 67° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:53

BEST TIME08:36N · 55° high

SETS14:16

Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:31

BEST TIME23:31N · 68° high

SETS05:30

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:04

BEST TIME12:39N · 88° high

SETS19:07

Reaches about 88° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:24

BEST TIME08:01N · 52° high

SETS13:35

Reaches about 52° 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.