OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

4.73°N, 6.87°EAfrica/Lagos

Daylight+1.0°

18:10:28

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 41m of true darkness · 12h 1m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:16

Civil Dusk18:37

Nautical19:02

Full Dark19:26

Nadir00:16

Dark Ends05:07

Nautical05:31

Civil Dawn05:56

Sunrise06:17

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE28.3°

DISTANCE380,160 km

Moonrise16:10

Moonset04:34

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX44% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

26/100

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♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-1.0°	252°	Libra	06:16	12:11	18:06	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-55.1°	304°	Leo	01:58	08:08	14:14	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	16.6°	90°	Pisces	17:01	23:03	05:05	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-59.3°	319°	Cancer	01:23	07:33	13:41	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	17.8°	246°	Libra	07:40	13:35	19:29	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-31.1°	62°	Taurus	20:26	02:34	08:47	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	23.9°	93°	Pisces	16:32	22:33	04:34	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

RISES16:10

BEST TIME22:21S · 88° high

SETS04:34

Reaches about 88° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:58

BEST TIME08:08N · 80° high

SETS14:14

Reaches about 80° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:01

BEST TIME23:03S · 87° high

SETS05:05

Reaches about 87° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:16

BEST TIME12:11S · 67° high

SETS18:06

Reaches about 67° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:23

BEST TIME07:33N · 77° high

SETS13:41

Reaches about 77° 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.