OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

3.02°N, 30.91°EAfrica/Kampala

Deep Astronomical Night-51.3° (< −18°)

22:09:32

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 38m of true darkness · 11h 58m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:41

Civil Dusk19:02

Nautical19:27

Full Dark19:51

Nadir00:40

Dark Ends05:29

Nautical05:54

Civil Dawn06:18

Sunrise06:39

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE81.8°

DISTANCE379,715 km

Moonrise16:31

Moonset04:54

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX92% · 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/Kampala

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-51.5°	244°	Libra	06:32	12:35	18:32	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-59.7°	54°	Leo	02:24	08:29	14:37	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	70.4°	94°	Pisces	17:26	23:27	05:29	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-50.9°	56°	Cancer	01:50	07:55	14:03	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-31.2°	247°	Libra	07:58	13:59	19:56	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	17.4°	69°	Taurus	20:52	02:58	09:04	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	77.4°	106°	Pisces	16:56	22:57	04:59	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

RISES16:31

BEST TIME22:42S · 89° high

SETS04:54

Reaches about 89° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:24

BEST TIME08:29N · 79° high

SETS14:37

Reaches about 79° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:26

BEST TIME23:27S · 88° high

SETS05:29

Reaches about 88° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:32

BEST TIME12:35S · 69° high

SETS18:32

Reaches about 69° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:50

BEST TIME07:55N · 75° high

SETS14:03

Reaches about 75° 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.