OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

45.97°N, 20.56°EEurope/Bucharest

Deep Astronomical Night-32.7° (< −18°)

21:46:28

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

Sunset18:38

Civil Dusk19:08

Nautical19:43

Full Dark20:18

Nadir01:22

Dark Ends06:26

Nautical07:01

Civil Dawn07:36

Sunrise08:06

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE40.7°

DISTANCE379,801 km

Moonrise17:10

Moonset05:54

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX61% · 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	-38.6°	285°	Libra	08:26	13:16	18:00	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-28.7°	10°	Leo	02:06	09:10	16:18	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	35.6°	134°	Pisces	18:00	00:08	06:16	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-23.8°	18°	Cancer	01:16	08:37	16:00	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-25.9°	266°	Libra	10:10	14:40	19:10	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	15.9°	76°	Taurus	20:04	03:40	11:20	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	37.4°	143°	Pisces	17:38	23:39	05:39	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

RISES17:10

BEST TIME23:25S · 46° high

SETS05:54

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:06

BEST TIME09:10S · 58° high

SETS16:18

Reaches about 58° 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

RISES08:26

BEST TIME13:16S · 26° high

SETS18:00

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

RISES01:16

BEST TIME08:37S · 62° high

SETS16:00

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.