OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

45.97°N, 20.77°EEurope/Bucharest

Deep Astronomical Night-19.2° (< −18°)

20:26:45

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

Sunset18:37

Civil Dusk19:07

Nautical19:42

Full Dark20:17

Nadir01:21

Dark Ends06:25

Nautical07:00

Civil Dawn07:35

Sunrise08:05

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE31.2°

DISTANCE380,099 km

Moonrise17:09

Moonset05:53

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

All times calibrated to Europe/Bucharest

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-24.9°	270°	Libra	08:33	13:16	17:59	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-28.4°	348°	Leo	02:05	09:13	16:17	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	24.3°	115°	Pisces	18:00	00:08	06:16	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-25.6°	357°	Cancer	01:15	08:38	15:59	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-12.3°	253°	Libra	10:10	14:39	19:09	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	3.2°	62°	Taurus	20:03	03:39	11:19	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	27.4°	123°	Pisces	17:37	23:38	05:38	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

RISES17:09

BEST TIME23:24S · 46° high

SETS05:53

Reaches about 46° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:05

BEST TIME09:13S · 59° high

SETS16:17

Reaches about 59° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:00

BEST TIME00:08S · 46° high

SETS06:16

Reaches about 46° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:33

BEST TIME13:16S · 26° high

SETS17:59

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

RISES01:15

BEST TIME08:38S · 62° high

SETS15:59

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

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.