OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

48.17°N, 13.98°EEurope/Vienna

Nautical Twilight-6.4° (−6° to −12°)

18:38:52

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

Sunset18:00

Civil Dusk18:32

Nautical19:08

Full Dark19:44

Nadir00:48

Dark Ends05:52

Nautical06:28

Civil Dawn07:04

Sunrise07:36

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE19.0°

DISTANCE380,278 km

Moonrise16:37

Moonset05:23

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX30% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

61/100

Fair Stargazing

Partial haze or lunar wash. Bright clusters, double stars, and prominent planets remain well visible.

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	-12.3°	257°	Libra	08:06	12:43	17:20	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-21.5°	329°	Leo	01:27	08:40	15:49	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	11.6°	101°	Pisces	17:26	23:35	05:43	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-20.7°	338°	Cancer	00:35	08:05	15:33	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-1.3°	240°	Libra	09:44	14:06	18:29	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-5.7°	48°	Taurus	19:22	03:06	10:54	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	15.0°	108°	Pisces	17:04	23:05	05:06	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

RISES16:37

BEST TIME22:52S · 44° high

SETS05:23

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:27

BEST TIME08:40S · 56° high

SETS15:49

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

RISES17:26

BEST TIME23:35S · 43° high

SETS05:43

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

RISES08:06

BEST TIME12:43S · 24° high

SETS17:20

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

RISES00:35

BEST TIME08:05S · 60° high

SETS15:33

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.