OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

3.05°N, 33.22°EAfrica/Kampala

Astronomical Twilight-12.6° (−12° to −18°)

19:22:33

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

Sunset18:32

Civil Dusk18:53

Nautical19:17

Full Dark19:42

Nadir00:31

Dark Ends05:20

Nautical05:44

Civil Dawn06:09

Sunrise06:30

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE43.1°

DISTANCE380,339 km

Moonrise16:22

Moonset04:44

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX63% · 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	-14.2°	252°	Libra	06:23	12:26	18:23	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-67.0°	320°	Leo	02:15	08:23	14:28	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	30.9°	90°	Pisces	17:16	23:18	05:19	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-68.0°	344°	Cancer	01:40	07:48	13:54	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	5.3°	249°	Libra	07:53	13:50	19:47	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-18.9°	67°	Taurus	20:43	02:49	08:59	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	38.2°	93°	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 TIME22:33S · 89° high

SETS04:44

Reaches about 89° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:15

BEST TIME08:23N · 79° high

SETS14:28

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

RISES17:16

BEST TIME23:18S · 88° high

SETS05:19

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

RISES06:23

BEST TIME12:26S · 69° high

SETS18:23

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

RISES01:40

BEST TIME07:48N · 75° high

SETS13:54

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.