OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

46.82°N, 14.85°EEurope/Vienna

Deep Astronomical Night-29.6° (< −18°)

20:52:18

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 13h 31m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:59

Civil Dusk18:30

Nautical19:05

Full Dark19:41

Nadir00:45

Dark Ends05:49

Nautical06:24

Civil Dawn06:59

Sunrise07:31

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE38.3°

DISTANCE379,779 km

Moonrise16:33

Moonset05:19

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX58% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

71/100

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	-35.5°	282°	Libra	07:51	12:39	17:20	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-28.2°	5°	Leo	01:27	08:33	15:42	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	32.9°	130°	Pisces	17:23	23:31	05:39	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-23.8°	13°	Cancer	00:36	08:00	15:25	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-23.0°	264°	Libra	09:36	14:03	18:30	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	13.3°	73°	Taurus	19:23	03:02	10:46	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	34.9°	139°	Pisces	17:01	23:02	05:02	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

RISES16:33

BEST TIME22:49S · 45° high

SETS05:19

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:27

BEST TIME08:33S · 58° high

SETS15:42

Reaches about 58° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES17:23

BEST TIME23:31S · 45° high

SETS05:39

Reaches about 45° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES07:51

BEST TIME12:39S · 25° high

SETS17:20

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

RISES00:36

BEST TIME08:00S · 61° high

SETS15:25

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.