OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

54.30°N, 9.32°EEurope/Berlin
Deep Astronomical Night-20.2° (< −18°)
20:24:41
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 3m of true darkness · 14h 1m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:06
Civil Dusk18:43
Nautical19:25
Full Dark20:06
Nadir01:07
Dark Ends06:08
Nautical06:49
Civil Dawn07:31
Sunrise08:08
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 Aldebaran Deneb Saturn (0.3) Uranus (5.6) Neptune (7.8) Moon (93%)
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION93%
ALTITUDE27.4°
DISTANCE379,882 km
Moonrise16:54
Moonset05:48
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

PLANETSTATUSMAGNITUDEALTITUDEAZIMUTHCONSTELLATIONRISETRANSITSETEQUIPMENT
Venus♀ Below Horizon -4.3-26.4°276°Libra08:4613:0117:17Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Below Horizon -2.0-20.5°352°Leo01:2808:5816:25Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Visible Low 0.322.1°121°Pisces17:4323:5306:04Naked Eye
Mars♂ Below Horizon 1.0-17.3°0°Cancer00:3108:2216:14Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Below Horizon 0.4-16.3°257°Libra10:3014:2518:21Binoculars
Uranus♅ Rising / Setting 5.68.5°66°Taurus19:1203:2411:41Binoculars
Neptune♆ Visible Low 7.824.1°129°Pisces17:2323:2405:24Telescope
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 · 38° high
SETS05:48
Reaches about 38° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:28
BEST TIME08:58S · 50° high
SETS16:25
Reaches about 50° 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 · 37° high
SETS06:04
Reaches about 37° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Low in the sky
RISES08:46
BEST TIME13:01S · 18° high
SETS17:17
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
RISES00:31
BEST TIME08:22S · 54° high
SETS16:14
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

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.