OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

18.89°S, 32.70°EAfrica/Harare

Deep Astronomical Night-23.4° (< −18°)

19:35:11

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

Sunset17:53

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

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE54.1°

DISTANCE380,067 km

Moonrise15:25

Moonset03:40

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX75% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

66/100

Good Stargazing

Fine observing conditions. Open star clusters and nebulae will exhibit crisp structure.

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	-21.8°	240°	Libra	04:56	11:28	17:54	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-84.7°	148°	Leo	01:40	07:22	13:07	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	44.5°	68°	Pisces	16:21	22:20	04:19	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-79.1°	93°	Cancer	01:12	06:48	12:27	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-2.4°	247°	Libra	06:17	12:52	19:23	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-10.0°	71°	Taurus	20:20	01:51	07:23	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	51.9°	65°	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 · 68° high

SETS03:40

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:40

BEST TIME07:22N · 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

RISES16:21

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

RISES01:12

BEST TIME06:48N · 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.