OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

4.22°S, 35.55°EAfrica/Dar_es_Salaam

Astronomical Twilight-17.4° (−12° to −18°)

19:39:03

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 25m of true darkness · 11h 46m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:28

Civil Dusk18:50

Nautical19:14

Full Dark19:39

Nadir00:22

Dark Ends05:04

Nautical05:29

Civil Dawn05:53

Sunrise06:15

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE49.1°

DISTANCE380,277 km

Moonrise16:13

Moonset04:33

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

57/100

Fair Stargazing

Partial haze or lunar wash. Bright clusters, double stars, and prominent planets remain well visible.

CLOUD COVER15%

HUMIDITY50%

VISIBILITY18 km

DEW POINT10.8°C

PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

All times calibrated to Africa/Dar_es_Salaam

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-17.9°	249°	Libra	06:04	12:17	18:23	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-76.8°	322°	Leo	02:13	08:14	14:11	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	37.1°	85°	Pisces	17:08	23:09	05:09	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-76.2°	1°	Cancer	01:40	07:39	13:35	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	2.0°	249°	Libra	07:29	13:40	19:48	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-15.5°	69°	Taurus	20:45	02:40	08:39	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	44.7°	86°	Pisces	16:38	22:39	04:40	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

RISES16:13

BEST TIME22:23N · 83° high

SETS04:33

Reaches about 83° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:13

BEST TIME08:14N · 71° high

SETS14:11

Reaches about 71° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:08

BEST TIME23:09N · 84° high

SETS05:09

Reaches about 84° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:04

BEST TIME12:17S · 76° high

SETS18:23

Reaches about 76° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:40

BEST TIME07:39N · 68° high

SETS13:35

Reaches about 68° 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.