OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

18.66°S, 32.75°EAfrica/Harare

Nautical Twilight-10.6° (−6° to −12°)

18:37:54

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 50m of true darkness · 11h 21m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:52

Civil Dusk18:15

Nautical18:41

Full Dark19:08

Nadir23:33

Dark Ends03:58

Nautical04:24

Civil Dawn04:51

Sunrise05:13

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE42.5°

DISTANCE380,282 km

Moonrise15:25

Moonset03:40

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX62% · Heavy Lunar Wash

Bright moonlight washes out deep sky targets. Focus on lunar craters and bright planets.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

50/100

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	-9.6°	247°	Libra	04:56	11:28	17:54	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-78.1°	250°	Leo	01:40	07:25	13:07	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	31.7°	76°	Pisces	16:20	22:20	04:19	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-87.1°	255°	Cancer	01:11	06:50	12:27	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	9.6°	251°	Libra	06:17	12:52	19:23	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-23.0°	75°	Taurus	20:19	01:51	07:27	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	39.2°	75°	Pisces	15:48	21:50	03:52	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

RISES15:25

BEST TIME21:35N · 69° high

SETS03:40

Reaches about 69° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:40

BEST TIME07:25N · 57° high

SETS13:07

Reaches about 57° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:20

BEST TIME22:20N · 70° high

SETS04:19

Reaches about 70° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES04:56

BEST TIME11:28N · 89° high

SETS17:54

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

RISES01:11

BEST TIME06:50N · 53° high

SETS12:27

Reaches about 53° 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.