OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

47.31°N, 9.67°EEurope/Vienna

Deep Astronomical Night-25.3° (< −18°)

20:47:54

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 13h 33m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:19

Civil Dusk18:50

Nautical19:26

Full Dark20:01

Nadir01:06

Dark Ends06:09

Nautical06:45

Civil Dawn07:21

Sunrise07:52

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE35.1°

DISTANCE379,795 km

Moonrise16:54

Moonset05:41

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX53% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

73/100

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 Europe/Vienna

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-31.2°	278°	Libra	08:13	13:00	17:40	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-27.8°	358°	Leo	01:46	08:57	16:04	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	29.2°	124°	Pisces	17:43	23:52	06:00	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-24.1°	7°	Cancer	00:55	08:20	15:47	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-18.8°	260°	Libra	09:58	14:24	18:49	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	9.4°	69°	Taurus	19:42	03:23	11:08	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	31.6°	133°	Pisces	17:22	23:22	05:23	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 · Good height

RISES16:54

BEST TIME23:10S · 45° high

SETS05:41

Reaches about 45° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:46

BEST TIME08:57S · 57° high

SETS16:04

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

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES17:43

BEST TIME23:52S · 44° high

SETS06:00

Reaches about 44° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:13

BEST TIME13:00S · 25° high

SETS17:40

Reaches about 25° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:55

BEST TIME08:20S · 61° high

SETS15:47

Reaches about 61° 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.