OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

44.93°N, 26.85°EEurope/Bucharest

Astronomical Twilight-15.3° (−12° to −18°)

19:40:40

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 25m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:14

Civil Dusk18:44

Nautical19:18

Full Dark19:52

Nadir00:57

Dark Ends06:01

Nautical06:35

Civil Dawn07:09

Sunrise07:39

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE28.6°

DISTANCE380,271 km

Moonrise16:45

Moonset05:27

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX44% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

66/100

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	-21.0°	266°	Libra	08:05	12:51	17:38	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-28.3°	342°	Leo	01:43	08:48	15:50	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	21.2°	110°	Pisces	17:36	23:43	05:51	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-26.3°	351°	Cancer	00:54	08:13	15:32	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-8.3°	249°	Libra	09:42	14:15	18:48	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-0.2°	59°	Taurus	19:42	03:15	10:51	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	24.6°	118°	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 · 47° high

SETS05:27

Reaches about 47° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:43

BEST TIME08:48S · 60° high

SETS15:50

Reaches about 60° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:36

BEST TIME23:43S · 47° high

SETS05:51

Reaches about 47° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:05

BEST TIME12:51S · 27° high

SETS17:38

Reaches about 27° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:54

BEST TIME08:13S · 63° high

SETS15:32

Reaches about 63° 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.