OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

16.72°S, 31.11°EAfrica/Harare

Nautical Twilight-6.2° (−6° to −12°)

18:23:04

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 56m of true darkness · 11h 24m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:57

Civil Dusk18:19

Nautical18:45

Full Dark19:11

Nadir23:39

Dark Ends04:07

Nautical04:33

Civil Dawn04:59

Sunrise05:21

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE38.3°

DISTANCE380,337 km

Moonrise15:32

Moonset03:47

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX57% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

52/100

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/Harare

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-5.6°	249°	Libra	05:05	11:34	17:58	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-73.5°	264°	Leo	01:44	07:31	13:15	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	27.1°	79°	Pisces	16:27	22:26	04:26	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-82.0°	280°	Cancer	01:15	06:56	12:36	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	13.8°	252°	Libra	06:30	12:58	19:26	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-27.4°	75°	Taurus	20:22	01:58	07:37	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	34.7°	78°	Pisces	15:55	21:57	03:58	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

RISES15:32

BEST TIME21:41N · 71° high

SETS03:47

Reaches about 71° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:44

BEST TIME07:31N · 59° high

SETS13:15

Reaches about 59° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:27

BEST TIME22:26N · 72° high

SETS04:26

Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:05

BEST TIME11:34S · 89° high

SETS17:58

Reaches about 89° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:15

BEST TIME06:56N · 55° high

SETS12:36

Reaches about 55° 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.