OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

18.96°S, 32.41°EAfrica/Harare

Deep Astronomical Night-34.7° (< −18°)

20:29:32

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 49m of true darkness · 11h 20m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:54

Civil Dusk18:16

Nautical18:43

Full Dark19:09

Nadir23:34

Dark Ends03:59

Nautical04:25

Civil Dawn04:52

Sunrise05:14

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE63.1°

DISTANCE379,864 km

Moonrise15:27

Moonset03:41

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX83% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

63/100

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	-32.4°	232°	Libra	04:57	11:29	17:56	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-73.7°	104°	Leo	01:41	07:23	13:08	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	55.7°	57°	Pisces	16:22	22:21	04:21	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-66.4°	89°	Cancer	01:13	06:49	12:28	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-13.8°	241°	Libra	06:18	12:53	19:25	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	1.5°	67°	Taurus	20:21	01:52	07:24	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	62.5°	50°	Pisces	15:50	21:51	03:53	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

RISES15:27

BEST TIME21:36N · 68° high

SETS03:41

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:41

BEST TIME07:23N · 57° high

SETS13:08

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

RISES16:22

BEST TIME22:21N · 70° high

SETS04:21

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

RISES04:57

BEST TIME11:29N · 89° high

SETS17:56

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

RISES01:13

BEST TIME06:49N · 53° high

SETS12:28

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.