OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

28.55°S, 16.43°EAfrica/Windhoek

Deep Astronomical Night-21.3° (< −18°)

20:49:58

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 15m of true darkness · 11h 1m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:08

Civil Dusk19:32

Nautical20:01

Full Dark20:30

Nadir00:38

Dark Ends04:45

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

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE49.0°

DISTANCE379,788 km

Moonrise16:34

Moonset04:43

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX70% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

67/100

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	-18.7°	236°	Libra	05:45	12:33	19:15	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-74.9°	160°	Leo	02:57	08:27	14:00	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	42.2°	58°	Pisces	17:26	23:25	05:23	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-73.3°	127°	Cancer	02:31	07:53	13:17	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-0.5°	245°	Libra	07:03	13:57	20:47	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-10.9°	72°	Taurus	21:42	02:56	08:10	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	48.8°	52°	Pisces	16:53	22:55	04:58	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

RISES16:34

BEST TIME22:42N · 58° high

SETS04:43

Reaches about 58° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:57

BEST TIME08:27N · 47° high

SETS14:00

Reaches about 47° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:26

BEST TIME23:25N · 60° high

SETS05:23

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

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:45

BEST TIME12:33N · 80° high

SETS19:15

Reaches about 80° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · Good height

RISES02:31

BEST TIME07:53N · 44° high

SETS13:17

Reaches about 44° 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.