OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

48.89°N, 12.49°EEurope/Berlin

Deep Astronomical Night-24.3° (< −18°)

20:32:17

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 7m of true darkness · 13h 39m total night

DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:05

Civil Dusk18:37

Nautical19:14

Full Dark19:50

Nadir00:54

Dark Ends05:58

Nautical06:34

Civil Dawn07:11

Sunrise07:44

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE33.5°

DISTANCE379,854 km

Moonrise16:43

Moonset05:30

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX51% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

74/100

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

All times calibrated to Europe/Berlin

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-30.2°	278°	Libra	08:06	12:49	17:24	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-26.2°	357°	Leo	01:31	08:46	15:57	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	27.7°	124°	Pisces	17:32	23:41	05:49	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-22.6°	6°	Cancer	00:39	08:09	15:41	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-18.4°	259°	Libra	09:53	14:12	18:32	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	9.3°	69°	Taurus	19:25	03:12	11:03	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	30.0°	132°	Pisces	17:10	23:11	05:12	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

RISES16:43

BEST TIME22:58S · 43° high

SETS05:30

Reaches about 43° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:31

BEST TIME08:46S · 56° high

SETS15:57

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

RISES17:32

BEST TIME23:41S · 43° high

SETS05:49

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 TIME12:49S · 23° high

SETS17:24

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

RISES00:39

BEST TIME08:09S · 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

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.