OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

54.30°N, 13.27°EEurope/Berlin

Deep Astronomical Night-25.8° (< −18°)

20:48:13

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 3m of true darkness · 14h 1m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:51

Civil Dusk18:27

Nautical19:09

Full Dark19:50

Nadir00:51

Dark Ends05:52

Nautical06:34

Civil Dawn07:15

Sunrise07:52

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE31.3°

DISTANCE379,794 km

Moonrise16:38

Moonset05:31

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	-32.1°	285°	Libra	08:22	12:45	17:01	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-20.8°	2°	Leo	01:12	08:39	16:10	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	26.8°	131°	Pisces	17:27	23:37	05:48	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-16.8°	10°	Cancer	00:15	08:06	15:59	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-22.1°	265°	Libra	10:14	14:09	18:05	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	13.9°	73°	Taurus	18:56	03:09	11:25	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	28.2°	139°	Pisces	17:07	23:08	05:08	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 TIME22:55S · 38° high

SETS05:31

Reaches about 38° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:12

BEST TIME08:39S · 50° high

SETS16:10

Reaches about 50° 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 TIME23:37S · 37° high

SETS05:48

Reaches about 37° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Low in the sky

RISES08:22

BEST TIME12:45S · 18° high

SETS17:01

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

RISES00:15

BEST TIME08:06S · 54° high

SETS15:59

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

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.