OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

17.62°S, 27.34°EAfrica/Harare

Civil Twilight-1.2° (0° to −6°)

18:17:54

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 53m of true darkness · 11h 23m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:13

Civil Dusk18:35

Nautical19:01

Full Dark19:28

Nadir23:54

Dark Ends04:21

Nautical04:47

Civil Dawn05:13

Sunrise05:36

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE33.4°

DISTANCE380,357 km

Moonrise15:47

Moonset04:02

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX51% · Moderate Lunar Glow

Milky Way contrast is softened. Bright open clusters and double stars are optimal.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

39/100

Challenging Stargazing

High cloud cover or severe light interference. Recommend bright planetary observation or indoor planning.

CLOUD COVER15%

HUMIDITY50%

VISIBILITY18 km

DEW POINT10.8°C

PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

All times calibrated to Africa/Harare

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-0.7°	251°	Libra	05:19	11:49	18:14	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-68.6°	264°	Leo	02:00	07:46	13:29	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	22.2°	81°	Pisces	16:42	22:41	04:41	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-77.2°	273°	Cancer	01:31	07:11	12:50	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	18.7°	253°	Libra	06:44	13:13	19:43	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-32.4°	76°	Taurus	20:39	02:13	07:50	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	29.8°	80°	Pisces	16:10	22:12	04:14	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

RISES15:47

BEST TIME21:57N · 70° high

SETS04:02

Reaches about 70° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:00

BEST TIME07:46N · 58° high

SETS13:29

Reaches about 58° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:42

BEST TIME22:41N · 71° high

SETS04:41

Reaches about 71° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:19

BEST TIME11:49S · 90° high

SETS18:14

Reaches about 90° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:31

BEST TIME07:11N · 54° high

SETS12:50

Reaches about 54° 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.