OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

47.59°N, 17.69°EEurope/Budapest

Deep Astronomical Night-25.8° (< −18°)

20:19:23

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 13h 34m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:46

Civil Dusk18:18

Nautical18:54

Full Dark19:29

Nadir00:33

Dark Ends05:37

Nautical06:13

Civil Dawn06:49

Sunrise07:20

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE35.3°

DISTANCE379,902 km

Moonrise16:22

Moonset05:07

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX54% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

73/100

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	-31.7°	278°	Libra	07:42	12:28	17:07	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-27.6°	359°	Leo	01:14	08:25	15:33	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	29.5°	125°	Pisces	17:11	23:20	05:28	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-23.7°	8°	Cancer	00:22	07:48	15:16	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-19.4°	260°	Libra	09:27	13:52	18:16	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	10.1°	70°	Taurus	19:09	02:51	10:37	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	31.8°	134°	Pisces	16:50	22:50	04:51	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

RISES16:22

BEST TIME22:37S · 44° high

SETS05:07

Reaches about 44° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:14

BEST TIME08:25S · 57° high

SETS15:33

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

RISES17:11

BEST TIME23:20S · 44° high

SETS05:28

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

RISES07:42

BEST TIME12:28S · 24° high

SETS17:07

Reaches about 24° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:22

BEST TIME07:48S · 60° high

SETS15:16

Reaches about 60° 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.