OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

46.58°N, 26.87°EEurope/Bucharest

Deep Astronomical Night-39.8° (< −18°)

22:07:40

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 13h 30m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:11

Civil Dusk18:42

Nautical19:18

Full Dark19:52

Nadir00:57

Dark Ends06:01

Nautical06:36

Civil Dawn07:11

Sunrise07:42

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE43.7°

DISTANCE379,722 km

Moonrise16:45

Moonset05:28

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX64% · 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/Bucharest

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-45.9°	297°	Libra	08:02	12:51	17:33	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-25.9°	22°	Leo	01:39	08:45	15:54	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	40.2°	148°	Pisces	17:35	23:43	05:51	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-20.0°	29°	Cancer	00:49	08:12	15:36	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-33.9°	275°	Libra	09:43	14:15	18:43	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	23.9°	84°	Taurus	19:36	03:14	10:57	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	40.8°	158°	Pisces	17:13	23:14	05:14	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

RISES16:45

BEST TIME22:59S · 45° high

SETS05:28

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:39

BEST TIME08:45S · 58° high

SETS15:54

Reaches about 58° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES17:35

BEST TIME23:43S · 45° high

SETS05:51

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

RISES08:02

BEST TIME12:51S · 25° high

SETS17:33

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

RISES00:49

BEST TIME08:12S · 61° high

SETS15:36

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.