OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

23.32°S, 17.09°EAfrica/Windhoek

Daylight+8.9°

18:17:01

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 35m of true darkness · 11h 12m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:59

Civil Dusk19:23

Nautical19:50

Full Dark20:18

Nadir00:35

Dark Ends04:53

Nautical05:21

Civil Dawn05:48

Sunrise06:11

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE22.5°

DISTANCE380,360 km

Moonrise16:30

Moonset04:42

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX35% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

30/100

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	9.8°	254°	Libra	05:51	12:30	19:03	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-58.0°	260°	Leo	02:48	08:27	14:04	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	11.7°	83°	Pisces	17:23	23:22	05:21	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-67.0°	261°	Cancer	02:20	07:52	13:23	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	29.6°	258°	Libra	07:14	13:54	20:34	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-43.2°	83°	Taurus	21:30	02:53	08:21	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	19.2°	82°	Pisces	16:50	22:53	04:55	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

RISES16:30

BEST TIME22:39N · 64° high

SETS04:42

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:48

BEST TIME08:27N · 52° high

SETS14:04

Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:23

BEST TIME23:22N · 65° high

SETS05:21

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:51

BEST TIME12:30N · 85° high

SETS19:03

Reaches about 85° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:20

BEST TIME07:52N · 49° high

SETS13:23

Reaches about 49° 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.