OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

47.87°N, 25.62°EEurope/Bucharest
Deep Astronomical Night-31.8° (< −18°)
21:24:38
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 13h 35m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:14
Civil Dusk18:46
Nautical19:22
Full Dark19:58
Nadir01:02
Dark Ends06:06
Nautical06:41
Civil Dawn07:17
Sunrise07:49
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
SunsetSunrise
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry
30° ALT60° ALTZENITHNESW Polaris Vega Capella Altair Aldebaran Deneb Saturn (0.3) Uranus (5.6) Neptune (7.8) Moon (93%)
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION93%
ALTITUDE38.9°
DISTANCE379,882 km
Moonrise16:50
Moonset05:34
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX58% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
71/100
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

PLANETSTATUSMAGNITUDEALTITUDEAZIMUTHCONSTELLATIONRISETRANSITSETEQUIPMENT
Venus♀ Below Horizon -4.3-37.8°286°Libra08:1112:5617:34Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Below Horizon -2.0-26.9°9°Leo01:4108:5016:02Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Optimal Visibility 0.334.1°135°Pisces17:4023:4805:57Naked Eye
Mars♂ Below Horizon 1.0-22.1°17°Cancer00:5008:1715:45Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Below Horizon 0.4-25.7°267°Libra09:5714:2018:43Binoculars
Uranus♅ Visible Low 5.616.0°76°Taurus19:3603:1911:07Binoculars
Neptune♆ Optimal Visibility 7.835.7°144°Pisces17:1823:1905:19Telescope
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
RISES16:50
BEST TIME23:04S · 44° high
SETS05:34
Reaches about 44° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:41
BEST TIME08:50S · 57° high
SETS16:02
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
RISES17:40
BEST TIME23:48S · 44° high
SETS05:57
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
RISES08:11
BEST TIME12:56S · 24° high
SETS17:34
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
RISES00:50
BEST TIME08:17S · 60° high
SETS15:45
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

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.