OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

51.86°N, 9.49°EEurope/Berlin

Deep Astronomical Night-18.9° (< −18°)

20:13:12

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 5m of true darkness · 13h 51m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:11

Civil Dusk18:46

Nautical19:25

Full Dark20:04

Nadir01:06

Dark Ends06:09

Nautical06:48

Civil Dawn07:27

Sunrise08:02

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE27.8°

DISTANCE379,925 km

Moonrise16:54

Moonset05:45

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX43% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

77/100

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	-25.0°	273°	Libra	08:36	13:00	17:26	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-22.6°	349°	Leo	01:35	08:58	16:17	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	21.9°	118°	Pisces	17:43	23:53	06:02	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-19.7°	358°	Cancer	00:40	08:23	16:04	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-14.2°	255°	Libra	10:17	14:24	18:32	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	6.0°	63°	Taurus	19:24	03:24	11:28	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	24.3°	126°	Pisces	17:22	23:23	05:24	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

RISES16:54

BEST TIME23:11S · 40° high

SETS05:45

Reaches about 40° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:35

BEST TIME08:58S · 53° high

SETS16:17

Reaches about 53° 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 TIME23:53S · 40° high

SETS06:02

Reaches about 40° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:36

BEST TIME13:00S · 20° high

SETS17:26

Reaches about 20° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:40

BEST TIME08:23S · 56° high

SETS16:04

Reaches about 56° 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.