OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

53.57°N, 7.90°EEurope/Berlin
Daylight+1.0°
18:04:05
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
Sunset18:14
Civil Dusk18:50
Nautical19:30
Full Dark20:11
Nadir01:13
Dark Ends06:14
Nautical06:55
Civil Dawn07:36
Sunrise08:12
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 Antares Deneb Saturn (0.3) Mercury (0.4) Neptune (7.8) Moon (92%)
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE8.6°
DISTANCE380,409 km
Moonrise17:00
Moonset05:53
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX14% · Minimal Lunar Glare

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
37/100
Challenging Stargazing

High cloud cover or severe light interference. Recommend bright planetary observation or indoor planning.

CLOUD COVER15%
HUMIDITY50%
VISIBILITY18 km
DEW POINT10.8°C
PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

PLANETSTATUSMAGNITUDEALTITUDEAZIMUTHCONSTELLATIONRISETRANSITSETEQUIPMENT
Venus♀ Below Horizon -4.3-5.0°247°Libra08:4913:0717:25Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Below Horizon -2.0-11.4°316°Leo01:3609:0416:29Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Rising / Setting 0.32.0°90°Pisces17:4923:5906:14Naked Eye
Mars♂ Below Horizon 1.0-11.5°325°Cancer00:4008:2916:17Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Rising / Setting 0.42.7°229°Libra10:3214:3118:30Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-8.0°36°Taurus19:2203:3011:43Binoculars
Neptune♆ Rising / Setting 7.84.8°97°Pisces17:2923:2905:30Telescope
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
RISES17:00
BEST TIME23:17S · 39° high
SETS05:53
Reaches about 39° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:36
BEST TIME09:04S · 51° high
SETS16:29
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
RISES17:49
BEST TIME23:59S · 38° high
SETS06:14
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
RISES08:49
BEST TIME13:07S · 18° high
SETS17:25
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
RISES00:40
BEST TIME08:29S · 54° high
SETS16:17
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.