OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

48.54°N, 9.92°EEurope/Berlin

Deep Astronomical Night-21.7° (< −18°)

20:26:17

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 13h 38m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:16

Civil Dusk18:48

Nautical19:24

Full Dark20:01

Nadir01:05

Dark Ends06:08

Nautical06:44

Civil Dawn07:21

Sunrise07:53

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE31.7°

DISTANCE379,876 km

Moonrise16:53

Moonset05:41

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX49% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

75/100

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	-27.6°	274°	Libra	08:15	12:59	17:35	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-26.3°	352°	Leo	01:42	08:56	16:06	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	25.6°	120°	Pisces	17:42	23:51	06:00	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-23.1°	1°	Cancer	00:50	08:19	15:50	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-15.6°	256°	Libra	10:02	14:23	18:43	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	6.7°	66°	Taurus	19:36	03:22	11:12	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	28.2°	128°	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

RISES16:53

BEST TIME23:09S · 44° high

SETS05:41

Reaches about 44° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:42

BEST TIME08:56S · 56° high

SETS16:06

Reaches about 56° 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 TIME23:51S · 43° high

SETS06:00

Reaches about 43° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:15

BEST TIME12:59S · 23° high

SETS17:35

Reaches about 23° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:50

BEST TIME08:19S · 59° high

SETS15:50

Reaches about 59° 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.