OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

46.08°N, 25.60°EEurope/Bucharest
Deep Astronomical Night-19.1° (< −18°)
20:07:22
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 29m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:17
Civil Dusk18:48
Nautical19:23
Full Dark19:57
Nadir01:02
Dark Ends06:06
Nautical06:41
Civil Dawn07:16
Sunrise07:46
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
SunsetSunrise
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry
30° ALT60° ALTZENITHNESW Polaris Vega Arcturus Capella Altair Deneb Saturn (0.3) Uranus (5.6) Neptune (7.8) Moon (92%)
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE31.2°
DISTANCE380,171 km
Moonrise16:50
Moonset05:33
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX48% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
75/100
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

PLANETSTATUSMAGNITUDEALTITUDEAZIMUTHCONSTELLATIONRISETRANSITSETEQUIPMENT
Venus♀ Below Horizon -4.3-24.8°270°Libra08:1412:5617:40Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Below Horizon -2.0-28.2°348°Leo01:4608:5315:58Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Visible Low 0.324.3°115°Pisces17:4023:4805:56Naked Eye
Mars♂ Below Horizon 1.0-25.5°357°Cancer00:5508:1815:40Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Below Horizon 0.4-12.3°253°Libra09:5114:2018:50Binoculars
Uranus♅ Rising / Setting 5.63.2°62°Taurus19:4303:2011:00Binoculars
Neptune♆ Visible Low 7.827.3°123°Pisces17:1823:1905:19Telescope
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
RISES16:50
BEST TIME23:04S · 46° high
SETS05:33
Reaches about 46° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:46
BEST TIME08:53S · 58° high
SETS15:58
Reaches about 58° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES17:40
BEST TIME23:48S · 45° high
SETS05:56
Reaches about 45° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Good height
RISES08:14
BEST TIME12:56S · 26° high
SETS17:40
Reaches about 26° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES00:55
BEST TIME08:18S · 62° high
SETS15:40
Reaches about 62° 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

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.