OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

10.37°N, 10.73°EAfrica/Lagos

Daylight+8.1°

17:19:26

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

Sunset17:56

Civil Dusk18:17

Nautical18:42

Full Dark19:07

Nadir00:01

Dark Ends04:55

Nautical05:20

Civil Dawn05:45

Sunrise06:06

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE19.6°

DISTANCE380,351 km

Moonrise15:54

Moonset04:20

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX31% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

31/100

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/Lagos

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Rising / Setting	-4.3	5.2°	251°	Libra	06:08	11:56	17:43	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-44.5°	303°	Leo	01:37	07:53	14:05	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Rising / Setting	0.3	7.8°	90°	Pisces	16:45	22:48	04:50	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-49.1°	314°	Cancer	01:01	07:18	13:33	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	23.3°	242°	Libra	07:34	13:19	19:05	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-35.7°	54°	Taurus	20:01	02:19	08:40	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	14.8°	93°	Pisces	16:17	22:18	04:19	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

RISES15:54

BEST TIME22:06S · 82° high

SETS04:20

Reaches about 82° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:37

BEST TIME07:53N · 86° high

SETS14:05

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

RISES16:45

BEST TIME22:48S · 81° high

SETS04:50

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

RISES06:08

BEST TIME11:56S · 62° high

SETS17:43

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

RISES01:01

BEST TIME07:18N · 82° high

SETS13:33

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.