OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

54.53°N, 9.98°EEurope/Berlin

Deep Astronomical Night-20.8° (< −18°)

20:26:26

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 2m of true darkness · 14h 3m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:03

Civil Dusk18:40

Nautical19:22

Full Dark20:03

Nadir01:04

Dark Ends06:05

Nautical06:47

Civil Dawn07:29

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

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE27.7°

DISTANCE379,875 km

Moonrise16:52

Moonset05:45

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX43% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

77/100

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	-27.0°	277°	Libra	08:45	12:58	17:13	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-20.3°	353°	Leo	01:25	08:56	16:23	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	22.5°	122°	Pisces	17:40	23:51	06:01	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-17.0°	2°	Cancer	00:27	08:19	16:13	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-17.0°	258°	Libra	10:28	14:22	18:17	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	9.2°	66°	Taurus	19:08	03:22	11:40	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	24.4°	130°	Pisces	17:20	23:21	05:22	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

RISES16:52

BEST TIME23:09S · 38° high

SETS05:45

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:25

BEST TIME08:56S · 50° high

SETS16:23

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

RISES17:40

BEST TIME23:51S · 37° high

SETS06:01

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

RISES08:45

BEST TIME12:58S · 17° high

SETS17:13

Only reaches about 17° above the horizon. An open view is important.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:27

BEST TIME08:19S · 53° high

SETS16:13

Reaches about 53° 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.