OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

47.30°N, 9.65°EEurope/Vienna
Daylight+0.9°
18:11:44
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 Ends06:10
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
30° ALT60° ALTZENITHNESW Polaris Vega Arcturus Capella Altair Antares Deneb Saturn (0.3) Mercury (0.4) Neptune (7.8) Moon (92%)
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE12.1°
DISTANCE380,380 km
Moonrise16:54
Moonset05:41
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX19% · Minimal Lunar Glare

Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
35/100
Challenging Stargazing

High cloud cover or severe light interference. Recommend bright planetary observation or indoor planning.

CLOUD COVER15%
HUMIDITY50%
VISIBILITY18 km
DEW POINT10.8°C
PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

PLANETSTATUSMAGNITUDEALTITUDEAZIMUTHCONSTELLATIONRISETRANSITSETEQUIPMENT
Venus♀ Below Horizon -4.3-4.9°249°Libra08:2113:0017:40Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Below Horizon -2.0-17.7°318°Leo01:4608:5716:04Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Rising / Setting 0.34.3°92°Pisces17:4423:5206:00Naked Eye
Mars♂ Below Horizon 1.0-18.0°327°Cancer00:5508:2215:47Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Rising / Setting 0.44.9°232°Libra09:5914:2418:49Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-11.6°39°Taurus19:4203:2311:08Binoculars
Neptune♆ Rising / Setting 7.87.9°99°Pisces17:2223:2205:23Telescope
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 (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
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
RISES17:44
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
RISES08:21
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 TIME08:22S · 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

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.