OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

49.28°N, 12.82°EEurope/Berlin
Astronomical Twilight-13.9° (−12° to −18°)
19:27:52
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 7m of true darkness · 13h 40m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:03
Civil Dusk18:35
Nautical19:13
Full Dark19:49
Nadir00:53
Dark Ends05:56
Nautical06:33
Civil Dawn07:10
Sunrise07:43
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 Deneb Saturn (0.3) Uranus (5.6) Neptune (7.8) Moon (93%)
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION93%
ALTITUDE25.0°
DISTANCE380,094 km
Moonrise16:41
Moonset05:29
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX39% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
68/100
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 -4.3-19.8°266°Libra08:1412:4717:21Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Below Horizon -2.0-23.7°340°Leo01:2908:4415:57Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Visible Low 0.318.3°110°Pisces17:3023:3905:48Naked Eye
Mars♂ Below Horizon 1.0-21.7°349°Cancer00:3608:1015:41Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Below Horizon 0.4-8.5°248°Libra09:5314:1118:29Binoculars
Uranus♅ Rising / Setting 5.60.6°57°Taurus19:2203:1111:03Binoculars
Neptune♆ Visible Low 7.821.3°118°Pisces17:0923:1005:10Telescope
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
RISES16:41
BEST TIME22:57S · 43° high
SETS05:29
Reaches about 43° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:29
BEST TIME08:44S · 55° high
SETS15:57
Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · Good height
RISES17:30
BEST TIME23:39S · 42° high
SETS05:48
Reaches about 42° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Good height
RISES08:14
BEST TIME12:47S · 23° high
SETS17:21
Reaches about 23° 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 TIME08:10S · 59° high
SETS15:41
Reaches about 59° 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.