OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

17.92°S, 15.95°EAfrica/Windhoek

Nautical Twilight-9.3° (−6° to −12°)

19:38:35

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 52m of true darkness · 11h 22m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:59

Civil Dusk19:21

Nautical19:47

Full Dark20:14

Nadir00:40

Dark Ends05:06

Nautical05:32

Civil Dawn05:59

Sunrise06:21

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE40.7°

DISTANCE380,054 km

Moonrise16:35

Moonset04:49

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX60% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

51/100

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	-8.6°	248°	Libra	06:04	12:35	19:00	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-76.9°	256°	Leo	02:46	08:32	14:14	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	30.4°	77°	Pisces	17:27	23:27	05:26	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-85.7°	270°	Cancer	02:17	07:57	13:35	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	10.8°	251°	Libra	07:25	13:59	20:29	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-24.3°	75°	Taurus	21:25	02:58	08:35	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	38.0°	76°	Pisces	16:55	22:57	04:59	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

RISES16:35

BEST TIME22:44N · 69° high

SETS04:49

Reaches about 69° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:46

BEST TIME08:32N · 58° high

SETS14:14

Reaches about 58° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:27

BEST TIME23:27N · 71° high

SETS05:26

Reaches about 71° 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 TIME12:35S · 90° high

SETS19:00

Reaches about 90° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:17

BEST TIME07:57N · 54° high

SETS13:35

Reaches about 54° 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.