OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

50.34°N, 8.54°EEurope/Berlin

Daylight+5.0°

17:40:42

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 6m of true darkness · 13h 44m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:18

Civil Dusk18:51

Nautical19:29

Full Dark20:07

Nadir01:10

Dark Ends06:13

Nautical06:51

Civil Dawn07:29

Sunrise08:02

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE5.9°

DISTANCE380,496 km

Moonrise16:58

Moonset05:48

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX10% · Minimal Lunar Glare

Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

38/100

Challenging Stargazing

High cloud cover or severe light interference. Recommend bright planetary observation or indoor planning.

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	-0.7°	243°	Libra	08:35	13:04	17:35	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-11.3°	311°	Leo	01:43	09:01	16:16	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-1.0°	86°	Pisces	17:47	23:56	06:10	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-12.1°	320°	Cancer	00:50	08:27	16:02	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	7.2°	224°	Libra	10:15	14:28	18:42	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-12.5°	31°	Taurus	19:34	03:28	11:25	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Rising / Setting	7.8	2.0°	93°	Pisces	17:26	23:27	05:27	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 · 42° high

SETS05:48

Reaches about 42° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:43

BEST TIME09:01S · 54° high

SETS16:16

Reaches about 54° 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 TIME23:56S · 41° high

SETS06:10

Reaches about 41° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:35

BEST TIME13:04S · 22° high

SETS17:35

Reaches about 22° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:50

BEST TIME08:27S · 58° high

SETS16:02

Reaches about 58° 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.