OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

48.89°N, 13.58°EEurope/Berlin

Deep Astronomical Night-21.5° (< −18°)

20:10:58

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 7m of true darkness · 13h 39m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:01

Civil Dusk18:33

Nautical19:10

Full Dark19:46

Nadir00:50

Dark Ends05:53

Nautical06:30

Civil Dawn07:07

Sunrise07:39

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE31.4°

DISTANCE379,933 km

Moonrise16:38

Moonset05:25

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX48% · 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	-27.4°	274°	Libra	08:02	12:44	17:19	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-25.9°	352°	Leo	01:27	08:41	15:52	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	25.3°	120°	Pisces	17:27	23:36	05:45	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-22.7°	1°	Cancer	00:35	08:05	15:37	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-15.6°	256°	Libra	09:49	14:08	18:27	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	6.8°	65°	Taurus	19:20	03:07	10:59	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	27.8°	128°	Pisces	17:06	23:07	05:07	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

RISES16:38

BEST TIME22:54S · 43° high

SETS05:25

Reaches about 43° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:27

BEST TIME08:41S · 56° high

SETS15:52

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

RISES17:27

BEST TIME23:36S · 43° high

SETS05:45

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

RISES08:02

BEST TIME12:44S · 23° high

SETS17:19

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

RISES00:35

BEST TIME08:05S · 59° high

SETS15:37

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.