OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

51.71°N, 7.38°EEurope/Berlin

Nautical Twilight-7.6° (−6° to −12°)

19:09:10

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 5m of true darkness · 13h 50m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:20

Civil Dusk18:54

Nautical19:33

Full Dark20:12

Nadir01:15

Dark Ends06:17

Nautical06:56

Civil Dawn07:35

Sunrise08:10

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE18.2°

DISTANCE380,164 km

Moonrise17:03

Moonset05:54

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX29% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

62/100

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	-13.7°	259°	Libra	08:44	13:09	17:35	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-18.7°	330°	Leo	01:44	09:06	16:25	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	11.5°	102°	Pisces	17:51	00:01	06:11	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-17.6°	340°	Cancer	00:49	08:31	16:12	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-3.6°	241°	Libra	10:25	14:33	18:41	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-2.9°	49°	Taurus	19:33	03:32	11:36	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	14.4°	110°	Pisces	17:31	23:31	05:32	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

RISES17:03

BEST TIME23:19S · 40° high

SETS05:54

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:44

BEST TIME09:06S · 53° high

SETS16:25

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

RISES17:51

BEST TIME00:01S · 40° high

SETS06:11

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

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:44

BEST TIME13:09S · 20° high

SETS17:35

Reaches about 20° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:49

BEST TIME08:31S · 56° high

SETS16:12

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.