OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

51.81°N, 8.43°EEurope/Berlin

Nautical Twilight-9.3° (−6° to −12°)

19:15:42

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

Sunset18:15

Civil Dusk18:50

Nautical19:29

Full Dark20:08

Nadir01:11

Dark Ends06:13

Nautical06:52

Civil Dawn07:31

Sunrise08:06

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE19.7°

DISTANCE380,140 km

Moonrise16:58

Moonset05:50

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX31% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

61/100

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	-15.4°	261°	Libra	08:40	13:05	17:30	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-19.5°	333°	Leo	01:39	09:02	16:21	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	13.1°	105°	Pisces	17:47	23:57	06:07	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-18.1°	342°	Cancer	00:45	08:27	16:08	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-5.2°	243°	Libra	10:21	14:29	18:36	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-1.5°	51°	Taurus	19:28	03:28	11:32	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	15.9°	112°	Pisces	17:26	23:27	05:28	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

RISES16:58

BEST TIME23:15S · 40° high

SETS05:50

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:39

BEST TIME09:02S · 53° high

SETS16:21

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

RISES17:47

BEST TIME23:57S · 40° high

SETS06:07

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

RISES08:40

BEST TIME13:05S · 20° high

SETS17:30

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

RISES00:45

BEST TIME08:27S · 56° high

SETS16:08

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.