OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

15.66°N, 13.26°WAfrica/Dakar

Daylight+6.5°

17:57:06

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 55m of true darkness · 12h 19m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:27

Civil Dusk18:49

Nautical19:14

Full Dark19:39

Nadir00:37

Dark Ends05:34

Nautical05:59

Civil Dawn06:25

Sunrise06:47

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE19.1°

DISTANCE379,985 km

Moonrise16:32

Moonset05:01

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX30% · 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/Dakar

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Rising / Setting	-4.3	3.0°	250°	Libra	06:51	12:31	18:11	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-41.9°	307°	Leo	02:07	08:28	14:46	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Rising / Setting	0.3	8.3°	91°	Pisces	17:20	23:23	05:26	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-45.6°	318°	Cancer	01:29	07:54	14:16	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	20.3°	240°	Libra	08:18	13:55	19:32	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-32.1°	52°	Taurus	20:28	02:55	09:25	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	14.9°	95°	Pisces	16:53	22:54	04:55	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

RISES16:32

BEST TIME22:45S · 77° high

SETS05:01

Reaches about 77° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:07

BEST TIME08:28S · 89° high

SETS14:46

Reaches about 89° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:20

BEST TIME23:23S · 76° high

SETS05:26

Reaches about 76° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:51

BEST TIME12:31S · 56° high

SETS18:11

Reaches about 56° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:29

BEST TIME07:54N · 88° high

SETS14:16

Reaches about 88° 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.