OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

10.19°N, 4.72°EAfrica/Lagos

Deep Astronomical Night-25.3° (< −18°)

20:03:22

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 48m of true darkness · 12h 10m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:20

Civil Dusk18:41

Nautical19:06

Full Dark19:31

Nadir00:25

Dark Ends05:19

Nautical05:44

Civil Dawn06:09

Sunrise06:30

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE53.1°

DISTANCE379,738 km

Moonrise16:19

Moonset04:45

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX74% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

66/100

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	-27.6°	255°	Libra	06:26	12:19	18:07	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-65.1°	353°	Leo	02:01	08:17	14:29	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	42.2°	97°	Pisces	17:09	23:12	05:14	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-61.2°	11°	Cancer	01:25	07:40	13:57	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-7.7°	250°	Libra	07:54	13:43	19:29	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-5.2°	67°	Taurus	20:26	02:43	09:04	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	49.0°	103°	Pisces	16:41	22:42	04:43	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

RISES16:19

BEST TIME22:30S · 83° high

SETS04:45

Reaches about 83° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:01

BEST TIME08:17N · 86° high

SETS14:29

Reaches about 86° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:09

BEST TIME23:12S · 81° high

SETS05:14

Reaches about 81° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:26

BEST TIME12:19S · 62° high

SETS18:07

Reaches about 62° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:25

BEST TIME07:40N · 82° high

SETS13:57

Reaches about 82° 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.