OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

6.25°N, 6.19°EAfrica/Lagos

Deep Astronomical Night-27.6° (< −18°)

20:09:06

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 43m of true darkness · 12h 3m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:17

Civil Dusk18:38

Nautical19:03

Full Dark19:28

Nadir00:19

Dark Ends05:10

Nautical05:35

Civil Dawn06:00

Sunrise06:21

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE56.5°

DISTANCE379,716 km

Moonrise16:13

Moonset04:37

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX77% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

65/100

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/Lagos

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-29.3°	253°	Libra	06:15	12:14	18:06	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-69.2°	360°	Leo	01:59	08:11	14:19	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	45.5°	94°	Pisces	17:04	23:06	05:08	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-64.3°	19°	Cancer	01:24	07:34	13:46	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-9.1°	250°	Libra	07:42	13:38	19:29	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-4.0°	68°	Taurus	20:26	02:37	08:52	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	52.5°	99°	Pisces	16:35	22:36	04:37	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

RISES16:13

BEST TIME22:24S · 87° high

SETS04:37

Reaches about 87° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:59

BEST TIME08:11N · 82° high

SETS14:19

Reaches about 82° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:04

BEST TIME23:06S · 85° high

SETS05:08

Reaches about 85° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:15

BEST TIME12:14S · 66° high

SETS18:06

Reaches about 66° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:24

BEST TIME07:34N · 78° high

SETS13:46

Reaches about 78° 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.