OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

50.73°N, 6.60°EEurope/Berlin

Astronomical Twilight-14.9° (−12° to −18°)

19:59:00

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 6m of true darkness · 13h 46m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:25

Civil Dusk18:59

Nautical19:37

Full Dark20:15

Nadir01:18

Dark Ends06:21

Nautical06:59

Civil Dawn07:37

Sunrise08:11

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE25.1°

DISTANCE379,978 km

Moonrise17:06

Moonset05:56

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX39% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

68/100

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	-20.9°	267°	Libra	08:44	13:12	17:41	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-22.6°	342°	Leo	01:50	09:09	16:25	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	18.7°	112°	Pisces	17:55	00:04	06:13	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-20.4°	351°	Cancer	00:56	08:34	16:11	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-10.0°	250°	Libra	10:24	14:36	18:48	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	2.1°	58°	Taurus	19:40	03:35	11:34	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	21.5°	119°	Pisces	17:34	23:34	05:35	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

RISES17:06

BEST TIME23:23S · 41° high

SETS05:56

Reaches about 41° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:50

BEST TIME09:09S · 54° high

SETS16:25

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

RISES17:55

BEST TIME00:04S · 41° high

SETS06:13

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

RISES08:44

BEST TIME13:12S · 21° high

SETS17:41

Reaches about 21° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:56

BEST TIME08:34S · 57° high

SETS16:11

Reaches about 57° 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.