OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

48.18°N, 16.08°EEurope/Vienna

Astronomical Twilight-12.5° (−12° to −18°)

19:06:41

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 13h 36m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:52

Civil Dusk18:24

Nautical19:00

Full Dark19:36

Nadir00:40

Dark Ends05:44

Nautical06:20

Civil Dawn06:56

Sunrise07:28

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE24.4°

DISTANCE380,174 km

Moonrise16:28

Moonset05:14

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX38% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

68/100

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	-18.3°	264°	Libra	07:58	12:34	17:11	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-24.2°	338°	Leo	01:19	08:31	15:41	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	17.4°	108°	Pisces	17:18	23:26	05:35	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-22.5°	347°	Cancer	00:27	07:56	15:24	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-6.8°	247°	Libra	09:36	13:58	18:20	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-0.9°	55°	Taurus	19:13	02:57	10:46	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	20.6°	115°	Pisces	16:56	22:57	04:57	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

RISES16:28

BEST TIME22:43S · 44° high

SETS05:14

Reaches about 44° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:19

BEST TIME08:31S · 56° high

SETS15:41

Reaches about 56° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES17:18

BEST TIME23:26S · 43° high

SETS05:35

Reaches about 43° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES07:58

BEST TIME12:34S · 24° high

SETS17:11

Reaches about 24° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:27

BEST TIME07:56S · 60° high

SETS15:24

Reaches about 60° 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.