OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

55.40°N, 10.39°EEurope/Copenhagen
Daylight+0.4°
17:54:06
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 1m of true darkness · 14h 7m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset17:59
Civil Dusk18:37
Nautical19:20
Full Dark20:02
Nadir01:03
Dark Ends06:03
Nautical06:46
Civil Dawn07:28
Sunrise08:06
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%
ALTITUDE8.3°
DISTANCE380,446 km
Moonrise16:50
Moonset05:45
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX13% · Minimal Lunar Glare

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
37/100
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 -4.3-5.7°247°Libra08:4712:5717:08Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Below Horizon -2.0-10.1°316°Leo01:2008:5416:25Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Rising / Setting 0.32.0°90°Pisces17:3823:4906:04Naked Eye
Mars♂ Below Horizon 1.0-10.0°325°Cancer00:2208:1916:15Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Rising / Setting 0.41.6°229°Libra10:3114:2118:11Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-6.5°35°Taurus19:0103:2011:43Binoculars
Neptune♆ Rising / Setting 7.84.6°97°Pisces17:1923:1905:20Telescope
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
RISES16:50
BEST TIME23:07S · 37° high
SETS05:45
Reaches about 37° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:20
BEST TIME08:54S · 49° high
SETS16:25
Reaches about 49° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · Good height
RISES17:38
BEST TIME23:49S · 36° high
SETS06:04
Reaches about 36° 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 TIME12:57S · 17° high
SETS17:08
Only reaches about 17° above the horizon. An open view is important.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES00:22
BEST TIME08:19S · 53° high
SETS16:15
Reaches about 53° 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.