OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

0.48°N, 33.24°EAfrica/Kampala

Deep Astronomical Night-53.4° (< −18°)

22:11:46

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 34m of true darkness · 11h 54m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:34

Civil Dusk18:55

Nautical19:19

Full Dark19:44

Nadir00:31

Dark Ends05:18

Nautical05:42

Civil Dawn06:07

Sunrise06:28

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE84.4°

DISTANCE379,706 km

Moonrise16:22

Moonset04:44

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	-52.9°	240°	Libra	06:20	12:26	18:26	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-58.7°	60°	Leo	02:17	08:19	14:25	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	73.3°	87°	Pisces	17:17	23:18	05:19	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-49.7°	61°	Cancer	01:44	07:46	13:50	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-32.8°	245°	Libra	07:45	13:50	19:50	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	19.2°	68°	Taurus	20:47	02:49	08:51	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	80.7°	95°	Pisces	16:47	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 TIME22:33N · 88° high

SETS04:44

Reaches about 88° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:17

BEST TIME08:19N · 76° high

SETS14:25

Reaches about 76° 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 TIME23:18N · 89° high

SETS05:19

Reaches about 89° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:20

BEST TIME12:26S · 71° high

SETS18:26

Reaches about 71° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:44

BEST TIME07:46N · 73° high

SETS13:50

Reaches about 73° 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.