OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

47.38°N, 21.90°EEurope/Budapest

Deep Astronomical Night-33.5° (< −18°)

20:49:19

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 13h 33m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:30

Civil Dusk18:01

Nautical18:37

Full Dark19:12

Nadir00:17

Dark Ends05:20

Nautical05:56

Civil Dawn06:32

Sunrise07:03

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE40.3°

DISTANCE379,790 km

Moonrise16:05

Moonset04:49

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX60% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

71/100

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/Budapest

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-39.5°	288°	Libra	07:24	12:11	16:51	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-27.0°	12°	Leo	00:57	08:05	15:16	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	35.6°	137°	Pisces	16:55	23:03	05:11	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-22.0°	20°	Cancer	00:06	07:31	14:59	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-27.3°	269°	Libra	09:10	13:35	18:00	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	17.6°	78°	Taurus	18:53	02:34	10:20	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	37.1°	146°	Pisces	16:33	22:33	04:34	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

RISES16:05

BEST TIME22:19S · 45° high

SETS04:49

Reaches about 45° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:57

BEST TIME08:05S · 57° high

SETS15:16

Reaches about 57° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES16:55

BEST TIME23:03S · 44° high

SETS05:11

Reaches about 44° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES07:24

BEST TIME12:11S · 25° high

SETS16:51

Reaches about 25° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:06

BEST TIME07:31S · 61° high

SETS14:59

Reaches about 61° 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.