OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

52.36°N, 9.25°EEurope/Berlin

Astronomical Twilight-13.6° (−12° to −18°)

19:40:20

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 5m of true darkness · 13h 53m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:11

Civil Dusk18:46

Nautical19:26

Full Dark20:05

Nadir01:07

Dark Ends06:09

Nautical06:49

Civil Dawn07:29

Sunrise08:04

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE23.2°

DISTANCE380,048 km

Moonrise16:55

Moonset05:47

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX36% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

69/100

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	-19.7°	266°	Libra	08:39	13:01	17:25	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-20.7°	340°	Leo	01:34	08:59	16:19	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	17.0°	111°	Pisces	17:44	23:54	06:03	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-18.6°	349°	Cancer	00:39	08:24	16:07	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-9.4°	248°	Libra	10:20	14:25	18:30	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	1.9°	57°	Taurus	19:22	03:25	11:31	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	19.6°	118°	Pisces	17:23	23:24	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

RISES16:55

BEST TIME23:12S · 40° high

SETS05:47

Reaches about 40° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:34

BEST TIME08:59S · 52° high

SETS16:19

Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES17:44

BEST TIME23:54S · 39° high

SETS06:03

Reaches about 39° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Low in the sky

RISES08:39

BEST TIME13:01S · 20° high

SETS17:25

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 TIME08:24S · 56° high

SETS16:07

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.