OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

9.40°S, 33.35°EAfrica/Dar_es_Salaam

Deep Astronomical Night-47.7° (< −18°)

22:04:28

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 14m of true darkness · 11h 37m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:42

Civil Dusk19:03

Nautical19:28

Full Dark19:53

Nadir00:30

Dark Ends05:07

Nautical05:33

Civil Dawn05:58

Sunrise06:19

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE76.3°

DISTANCE379,734 km

Moonrise16:22

Moonset04:40

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX90% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

60/100

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	-45.8°	231°	Libra	06:06	12:25	18:39	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-64.0°	76°	Leo	02:27	08:19	14:14	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	68.7°	60°	Pisces	17:17	23:17	05:18	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-55.3°	72°	Cancer	01:56	07:46	13:37	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-26.7°	241°	Libra	07:30	13:49	20:05	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	13.7°	66°	Taurus	21:02	02:49	08:36	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	75.9°	51°	Pisces	16:46	22:48	04:49	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

RISES16:22

BEST TIME22:32N · 78° high

SETS04:40

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:27

BEST TIME08:19N · 66° high

SETS14:14

Reaches about 66° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:17

BEST TIME23:17N · 79° high

SETS05:18

Reaches about 79° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:06

BEST TIME12:25S · 81° high

SETS18:39

Reaches about 81° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:56

BEST TIME07:46N · 63° high

SETS13:37

Reaches about 63° 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.