OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

22.00°S, 15.60°EAfrica/Windhoek

Daylight+14.6°

17:57:13

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 39m of true darkness · 11h 14m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:04

Civil Dusk19:27

Nautical19:54

Full Dark20:22

Nadir00:41

Dark Ends05:01

Nautical05:28

Civil Dawn05:55

Sunrise06:18

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE17.1°

DISTANCE380,434 km

Moonrise16:37

Moonset04:49

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX27% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

32/100

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♀	Visible Low	-4.3	15.2°	256°	Libra	06:05	12:36	19:07	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-52.2°	265°	Leo	02:52	08:33	14:11	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Rising / Setting	0.3	6.0°	86°	Pisces	17:29	23:28	05:27	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-61.1°	267°	Cancer	02:24	07:58	13:31	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	35.2°	259°	Libra	07:23	14:00	20:37	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-48.9°	83°	Taurus	21:33	02:59	08:30	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	13.5°	85°	Pisces	16:56	22:59	05:01	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

RISES16:37

BEST TIME22:45N · 65° high

SETS04:49

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:52

BEST TIME08:33N · 54° high

SETS14:11

Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:29

BEST TIME23:28N · 67° high

SETS05:27

Reaches about 67° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:05

BEST TIME12:36N · 86° high

SETS19:07

Reaches about 86° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:24

BEST TIME07:58N · 50° high

SETS13:31

Reaches about 50° 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.