OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

51.93°N, 9.89°EEurope/Berlin

Civil Twilight-1.1° (0° to −6°)

18:16:14

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

Sunset18:09

Civil Dusk18:44

Nautical19:23

Full Dark20:02

Nadir01:05

Dark Ends06:07

Nautical06:46

Civil Dawn07:25

Sunrise08:00

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE11.9°

DISTANCE380,363 km

Moonrise16:52

Moonset05:43

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX19% · Minimal Lunar Glare

Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

50/100

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	-7.3°	251°	Libra	08:35	12:59	17:24	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-14.7°	320°	Leo	01:33	08:56	16:16	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Rising / Setting	0.3	4.9°	94°	Pisces	17:41	23:51	06:01	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-14.5°	329°	Cancer	00:39	08:21	16:02	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	1.5°	233°	Libra	10:16	14:23	18:30	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-7.4°	40°	Taurus	19:22	03:22	11:27	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Rising / Setting	7.8	8.0°	101°	Pisces	17:21	23:21	05:22	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

RISES16:52

BEST TIME23:09S · 40° high

SETS05:43

Reaches about 40° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:33

BEST TIME08:56S · 53° high

SETS16:16

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

RISES17:41

BEST TIME23:51S · 40° high

SETS06:01

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

VenusNaked Eye · Low in the sky

RISES08:35

BEST TIME12:59S · 20° high

SETS17:24

Only reaches about 20° above the horizon. An open view is important.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:39

BEST TIME08:21S · 56° high

SETS16:02

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.