OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

53.53°N, 9.44°EEurope/Berlin

Nautical Twilight-9.0° (−6° to −12°)

19:08:15

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 3m of true darkness · 13h 58m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:08

Civil Dusk18:44

Nautical19:24

Full Dark20:05

Nadir01:07

Dark Ends06:08

Nautical06:49

Civil Dawn07:29

Sunrise08:05

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE18.5°

DISTANCE380,168 km

Moonrise16:54

Moonset05:47

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX29% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

62/100

Fair Stargazing

Partial haze or lunar wash. Bright clusters, double stars, and prominent planets remain well visible.

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	-15.1°	261°	Libra	08:43	13:01	17:19	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-17.7°	332°	Leo	01:30	08:58	16:22	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	12.1°	104°	Pisces	17:42	23:53	06:03	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-16.3°	342°	Cancer	00:34	08:23	16:11	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-5.5°	243°	Libra	10:25	14:25	18:24	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-0.8°	50°	Taurus	19:16	03:24	11:36	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	14.8°	112°	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 · 39° high

SETS05:47

Reaches about 39° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:30

BEST TIME08:58S · 51° high

SETS16:22

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES17:42

BEST TIME23:53S · 38° high

SETS06:03

Reaches about 38° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Low in the sky

RISES08:43

BEST TIME13:01S · 18° high

SETS17:19

Only reaches about 18° above the horizon. An open view is important.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:34

BEST TIME08:23S · 54° high

SETS16:11

Reaches about 54° 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.