OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

9.90°N, 13.05°EAfrica/Lagos

Deep Astronomical Night-21.1° (< −18°)

19:12:59

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

Sunset17:47

Civil Dusk18:08

Nautical18:33

Full Dark18:58

Nadir23:52

Dark Ends04:46

Nautical05:10

Civil Dawn05:35

Sunrise05:56

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE49.3°

DISTANCE379,926 km

Moonrise15:44

Moonset04:10

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX70% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

67/100

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	-23.4°	255°	Libra	05:52	11:46	17:34	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-64.5°	343°	Leo	01:28	07:43	13:55	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	38.0°	96°	Pisces	16:36	22:38	04:41	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-62.0°	2°	Cancer	00:52	07:07	13:23	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-3.7°	249°	Libra	07:24	13:10	18:56	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-9.2°	66°	Taurus	19:53	02:10	08:30	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	44.9°	101°	Pisces	16:08	22:09	04:10	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

RISES15:44

BEST TIME21:56S · 83° high

SETS04:10

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:28

BEST TIME07:43N · 86° high

SETS13:55

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

RISES16:36

BEST TIME22:38S · 82° high

SETS04:41

Reaches about 82° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:52

BEST TIME11:46S · 62° high

SETS17:34

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

RISES00:52

BEST TIME07:07N · 82° high

SETS13:23

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.