OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

46.82°N, 23.45°EEurope/Bucharest

Deep Astronomical Night-23.2° (< −18°)

20:40:10

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

Sunset18:25

Civil Dusk18:56

Nautical19:31

Full Dark20:06

Nadir01:10

Dark Ends06:14

Nautical06:50

Civil Dawn07:25

Sunrise07:56

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE33.9°

DISTANCE380,048 km

Moonrise16:58

Moonset05:42

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX52% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

74/100

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	-29.0°	275°	Libra	08:16	13:05	17:46	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-28.2°	354°	Leo	01:53	09:02	16:08	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	27.6°	121°	Pisces	17:49	23:57	06:05	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-24.7°	4°	Cancer	01:02	08:25	15:51	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-16.6°	257°	Libra	10:02	14:29	18:56	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	7.2°	67°	Taurus	19:49	03:28	11:11	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	30.3°	129°	Pisces	17:27	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 · High in the sky

RISES16:58

BEST TIME23:13S · 45° high

SETS05:42

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:53

BEST TIME09:02S · 58° high

SETS16:08

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

RISES17:49

BEST TIME23:57S · 45° high

SETS06:05

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

RISES08:16

BEST TIME13:05S · 25° high

SETS17:46

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

RISES01:02

BEST TIME08:25S · 61° high

SETS15:51

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.