OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

48.80°N, 9.48°EEurope/Berlin

Nautical Twilight-7.4° (−6° to −12°)

19:02:17

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 7m of true darkness · 13h 38m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:17

Civil Dusk18:49

Nautical19:26

Full Dark20:02

Nadir01:06

Dark Ends06:10

Nautical06:46

Civil Dawn07:23

Sunrise07:56

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE19.5°

DISTANCE380,190 km

Moonrise16:55

Moonset05:43

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	-13.3°	258°	Libra	08:26	13:00	17:36	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-21.4°	330°	Leo	01:43	08:58	16:09	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	12.3°	102°	Pisces	17:44	23:53	06:01	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-20.5°	340°	Cancer	00:51	08:23	15:53	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-2.4°	241°	Libra	10:05	14:24	18:44	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-4.6°	49°	Taurus	19:37	03:24	11:15	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	15.6°	109°	Pisces	17:22	23:23	05:24	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

RISES16:55

BEST TIME23:11S · 43° high

SETS05:43

Reaches about 43° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:43

BEST TIME08:58S · 56° high

SETS16:09

Reaches about 56° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES17:44

BEST TIME23:53S · 43° high

SETS06:01

Reaches about 43° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:26

BEST TIME13:00S · 23° high

SETS17:36

Reaches about 23° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:51

BEST TIME08:23S · 59° high

SETS15:53

Reaches about 59° 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.