OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

47.48°N, 23.51°EEurope/Bucharest

Deep Astronomical Night-36.2° (< −18°)

22:00:11

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

Sunset18:23

Civil Dusk18:55

Nautical19:31

Full Dark20:06

Nadir01:10

Dark Ends06:14

Nautical06:50

Civil Dawn07:25

Sunrise07:57

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE41.5°

DISTANCE379,750 km

Moonrise16:58

Moonset05:43

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX62% · Heavy Lunar Wash

Bright moonlight washes out deep sky targets. Focus on lunar craters and bright planets.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

70/100

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	-42.2°	292°	Libra	08:18	13:05	17:44	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-26.2°	16°	Leo	01:51	08:58	16:09	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	37.4°	142°	Pisces	17:48	23:57	06:05	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-20.8°	24°	Cancer	00:59	08:25	15:53	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-30.3°	272°	Libra	10:04	14:28	18:53	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	20.4°	81°	Taurus	19:46	03:28	11:13	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	38.5°	152°	Pisces	17:26	23:27	05:28	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

RISES16:58

BEST TIME23:13S · 44° high

SETS05:43

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:51

BEST TIME08:58S · 57° high

SETS16:09

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

RISES17:48

BEST TIME23:57S · 44° high

SETS06:05

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

RISES08:18

BEST TIME13:05S · 24° high

SETS17:44

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

RISES00:59

BEST TIME08:25S · 60° high

SETS15:53

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.