OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

56.15°N, 9.05°EEurope/Copenhagen
Deep Astronomical Night-27.0° (< −18°)
21:18:41
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 0m of true darkness · 14h 11m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:03
Civil Dusk18:41
Nautical19:25
Full Dark20:08
Nadir01:08
Dark Ends06:08
Nautical06:51
Civil Dawn07:35
Sunrise08:14
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 Aldebaran Deneb Saturn (0.3) Uranus (5.6) Neptune (7.8) Moon (93%)
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION93%
ALTITUDE31.0°
DISTANCE379,681 km
Moonrise16:55
Moonset05:51
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX48% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
75/100
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

PLANETSTATUSMAGNITUDEALTITUDEAZIMUTHCONSTELLATIONRISETRANSITSETEQUIPMENT
Venus♀ Below Horizon -4.3-33.4°289°Libra08:4713:0217:10Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Below Horizon -2.0-18.8°5°Leo01:2308:5616:33Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Visible Low 0.326.9°135°Pisces17:4323:5406:06Naked Eye
Mars♂ Below Horizon 1.0-14.5°13°Cancer00:2408:2316:24Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Below Horizon 0.4-24.1°269°Libra10:4114:2618:12Binoculars
Uranus♅ Visible Low 5.616.2°76°Taurus19:0203:2611:53Binoculars
Neptune♆ Visible Low 7.828.0°144°Pisces17:2423:2505:25Telescope
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
RISES16:55
BEST TIME23:12S · 36° high
SETS05:51
Reaches about 36° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:23
BEST TIME08:56S · 48° high
SETS16:33
Reaches about 48° 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 TIME23:54S · 35° high
SETS06:06
Reaches about 35° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Low in the sky
RISES08:47
BEST TIME13:02S · 16° high
SETS17:10
Only reaches about 16° above the horizon. An open view is important.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES00:24
BEST TIME08:23S · 52° high
SETS16:24
Reaches about 52° 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.