OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

42.74°N, 27.50°EEurope/Sofia

Deep Astronomical Night-34.9° (< −18°)

21:25:34

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 18m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:15

Civil Dusk18:44

Nautical19:17

Full Dark19:49

Nadir00:54

Dark Ends05:59

Nautical06:31

Civil Dawn07:04

Sunrise07:33

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE44.1°

DISTANCE379,879 km

Moonrise16:43

Moonset05:23

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX65% · Heavy Lunar Wash

Bright moonlight washes out deep sky targets. Focus on lunar craters and bright planets.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

69/100

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/Sofia

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-40.6°	284°	Libra	07:50	12:49	17:41	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-31.7°	12°	Leo	01:45	08:42	15:43	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	38.7°	134°	Pisces	17:34	23:41	05:48	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-26.5°	20°	Cancer	00:57	08:09	15:23	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-26.9°	266°	Libra	09:33	14:12	18:52	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	16.3°	76°	Taurus	19:47	03:12	10:41	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	40.7°	144°	Pisces	17:10	23:11	05:12	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 · High in the sky

RISES16:43

BEST TIME22:56S · 49° high

SETS05:23

Reaches about 49° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:45

BEST TIME08:42S · 62° high

SETS15:43

Reaches about 62° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:34

BEST TIME23:41S · 49° high

SETS05:48

Reaches about 49° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES07:50

BEST TIME12:49S · 29° high

SETS17:41

Reaches about 29° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:57

BEST TIME08:09S · 65° high

SETS15:23

Reaches about 65° 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.