OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

24.63°S, 17.97°EAfrica/Windhoek

Astronomical Twilight-13.8° (−12° to −18°)

20:00:03

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 30m of true darkness · 11h 9m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:57

Civil Dusk19:21

Nautical19:48

Full Dark20:17

Nadir00:32

Dark Ends04:47

Nautical05:15

Civil Dawn05:43

Sunrise06:06

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE44.0°

DISTANCE379,974 km

Moonrise16:27

Moonset04:38

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX64% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

59/100

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/Windhoek

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-12.1°	243°	Libra	05:46	12:27	19:02	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-78.4°	208°	Leo	02:46	08:24	13:59	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	35.1°	69°	Pisces	17:20	23:19	05:18	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-82.7°	158°	Cancer	02:19	07:47	13:17	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	6.6°	250°	Libra	07:05	13:51	20:33	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-19.3°	75°	Taurus	21:29	02:50	08:15	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	42.3°	66°	Pisces	16:47	22:49	04:51	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

RISES16:27

BEST TIME22:36N · 62° high

SETS04:38

Reaches about 62° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:46

BEST TIME08:24N · 51° high

SETS13:59

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:20

BEST TIME23:19N · 64° high

SETS05:18

Reaches about 64° 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 TIME12:27N · 84° high

SETS19:02

Reaches about 84° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:19

BEST TIME07:47N · 48° high

SETS13:17

Reaches about 48° 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.