OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

14.73°N, 16.87°WAfrica/Dakar

Daylight+1.8°

18:33:20

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 54m of true darkness · 12h 18m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:42

Civil Dusk19:04

Nautical19:29

Full Dark19:54

Nadir00:51

Dark Ends05:48

Nautical06:13

Civil Dawn06:38

Sunrise07:00

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE24.2°

DISTANCE379,850 km

Moonrise16:47

Moonset05:16

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX38% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

28/100

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♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-1.3°	252°	Libra	07:04	12:45	18:27	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-46.6°	311°	Leo	02:22	08:43	15:00	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	13.5°	92°	Pisces	17:35	23:38	05:40	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-49.6°	324°	Cancer	01:45	08:08	14:30	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	16.1°	243°	Libra	08:31	14:10	19:48	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-28.4°	55°	Taurus	20:44	03:09	09:38	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	20.2°	96°	Pisces	17:07	23:08	05:09	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

RISES16:47

BEST TIME22:59S · 78° high

SETS05:16

Reaches about 78° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:22

BEST TIME08:43S · 90° high

SETS15:00

Reaches about 90° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:35

BEST TIME23:38S · 77° high

SETS05:40

Reaches about 77° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES07:04

BEST TIME12:45S · 57° high

SETS18:27

Reaches about 57° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:45

BEST TIME08:08N · 87° high

SETS14:30

Reaches about 87° 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.