OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

46.77°N, 24.92°EEurope/Bucharest

Deep Astronomical Night-36.1° (< −18°)

21:51:58

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 13h 31m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:19

Civil Dusk18:50

Nautical19:25

Full Dark20:00

Nadir01:05

Dark Ends06:09

Nautical06:44

Civil Dawn07:19

Sunrise07:50

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE42.0°

DISTANCE379,780 km

Moonrise16:53

Moonset05:36

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	-42.1°	291°	Libra	08:10	12:59	17:40	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-27.0°	16°	Leo	01:47	08:53	16:02	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	37.7°	141°	Pisces	17:43	23:51	05:59	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-21.6°	23°	Cancer	00:56	08:19	15:45	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-29.9°	271°	Libra	09:56	14:23	18:50	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	19.9°	80°	Taurus	19:43	03:22	11:05	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	38.9°	151°	Pisces	17:21	23:21	05:22	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

RISES16:53

BEST TIME23:07S · 45° high

SETS05:36

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:47

BEST TIME08:53S · 58° high

SETS16:02

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

RISES17:43

BEST TIME23:51S · 45° high

SETS05:59

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

RISES08:10

BEST TIME12:59S · 25° high

SETS17:40

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

RISES00:56

BEST TIME08:19S · 61° high

SETS15:45

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.