OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

5.92°N, 7.68°EAfrica/Lagos

Nautical Twilight-11.0° (−6° to −12°)

18:56:03

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 42m of true darkness · 12h 3m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:12

Civil Dusk18:33

Nautical18:57

Full Dark19:22

Nadir00:13

Dark Ends05:04

Nautical05:29

Civil Dawn05:53

Sunrise06:15

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE40.2°

DISTANCE379,989 km

Moonrise16:07

Moonset04:31

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX60% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

51/100

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/Lagos

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-13.0°	253°	Libra	06:08	12:08	18:01	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-63.4°	321°	Leo	01:54	08:05	14:12	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	28.8°	92°	Pisces	16:58	23:00	05:02	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-64.6°	341°	Cancer	01:19	07:30	13:40	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	6.2°	248°	Libra	07:39	13:32	19:24	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-19.6°	65°	Taurus	20:21	02:31	08:46	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	36.0°	95°	Pisces	16:29	22:30	04:31	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

RISES16:07

BEST TIME22:18S · 87° high

SETS04:31

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:54

BEST TIME08:05N · 82° high

SETS14:12

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

RISES16:58

BEST TIME23:00S · 86° high

SETS05:02

Reaches about 86° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:08

BEST TIME12:08S · 66° high

SETS18:01

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

RISES01:19

BEST TIME07:30N · 78° high

SETS13:40

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.