OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

19.23°S, 17.72°EAfrica/Windhoek

Astronomical Twilight-12.7° (−12° to −18°)

19:47:45

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 48m of true darkness · 11h 20m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:53

Civil Dusk19:15

Nautical19:42

Full Dark20:09

Nadir00:33

Dark Ends04:57

Nautical05:24

Civil Dawn05:50

Sunrise06:13

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE43.8°

DISTANCE380,020 km

Moonrise16:27

Moonset04:41

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	-11.6°	246°	Libra	05:55	12:28	18:55	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-80.1°	242°	Leo	02:40	08:25	14:06	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	33.8°	75°	Pisces	17:20	23:20	05:19	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-88.6°	198°	Cancer	02:12	07:50	13:26	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	7.6°	250°	Libra	07:16	13:52	20:24	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-20.9°	74°	Taurus	21:20	02:51	08:26	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	41.3°	73°	Pisces	16:48	22:50	04:52	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 TIME22:37N · 68° high

SETS04:41

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:40

BEST TIME08:25N · 56° high

SETS14:06

Reaches about 56° 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 TIME23:20N · 69° high

SETS05:19

Reaches about 69° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:55

BEST TIME12:28N · 89° high

SETS18:55

Reaches about 89° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:12

BEST TIME07:50N · 53° high

SETS13:26

Reaches about 53° 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.