OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

22.96°S, 14.51°EAfrica/Windhoek

Astronomical Twilight-15.6° (−12° to −18°)

20:19:30

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 36m of true darkness · 11h 12m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:09

Civil Dusk19:33

Nautical20:00

Full Dark20:28

Nadir00:46

Dark Ends05:04

Nautical05:31

Civil Dawn05:59

Sunrise06:22

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE45.8°

DISTANCE379,901 km

Moonrise16:41

Moonset04:53

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX66% · 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	-14.0°	243°	Libra	06:02	12:40	19:13	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-80.5°	206°	Leo	02:57	08:38	14:14	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	36.9°	69°	Pisces	17:34	23:33	05:32	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-83.5°	141°	Cancer	02:30	08:01	13:33	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	4.8°	249°	Libra	07:22	14:04	20:43	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-17.6°	74°	Taurus	21:39	03:04	08:32	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	44.2°	66°	Pisces	17:01	23:03	05:05	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

RISES16:41

BEST TIME22:50N · 64° high

SETS04:53

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:57

BEST TIME08:38N · 53° high

SETS14:14

Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:34

BEST TIME23:33N · 66° high

SETS05:32

Reaches about 66° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:02

BEST TIME12:40N · 85° high

SETS19:13

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

RISES02:30

BEST TIME08:01N · 49° high

SETS13:33

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.