OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

4.92°N, 7.65°EAfrica/Lagos

Deep Astronomical Night-20.4° (< −18°)

19:34:58

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

Sunset18:13

Civil Dusk18:34

Nautical18:58

Full Dark19:23

Nadir00:13

Dark Ends05:04

Nautical05:28

Civil Dawn05:53

Sunrise06:14

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE49.7°

DISTANCE379,844 km

Moonrise16:07

Moonset04:31

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX71% · 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	-22.1°	253°	Libra	06:07	12:08	18:02	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-69.3°	340°	Leo	01:55	08:05	14:12	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	38.5°	92°	Pisces	16:58	23:00	05:02	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-67.0°	3°	Cancer	01:20	07:28	13:38	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-2.0°	249°	Libra	07:38	13:32	19:26	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-11.1°	67°	Taurus	20:22	02:31	08:44	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	45.7°	96°	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 · 88° high

SETS04:31

Reaches about 88° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:55

BEST TIME08:05N · 81° high

SETS14:12

Reaches about 81° 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 · 87° high

SETS05:02

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

RISES06:07

BEST TIME12:08S · 67° high

SETS18:02

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

RISES01:20

BEST TIME07:28N · 77° high

SETS13:38

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.