OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

46.09°N, 21.69°EEurope/Bucharest

Deep Astronomical Night-34.2° (< −18°)

21:51:48

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

Sunset18:33

Civil Dusk19:04

Nautical19:38

Full Dark20:13

Nadir01:17

Dark Ends06:22

Nautical06:56

Civil Dawn07:31

Sunrise08:02

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE41.5°

DISTANCE379,781 km

Moonrise17:06

Moonset05:49

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	-40.2°	288°	Libra	08:21	13:12	17:55	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-28.3°	12°	Leo	02:01	09:06	16:13	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	36.7°	137°	Pisces	17:56	00:04	06:12	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-23.1°	20°	Cancer	01:11	08:32	15:56	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-27.6°	268°	Libra	10:06	14:36	19:05	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	17.6°	78°	Taurus	19:59	03:35	11:16	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	38.3°	146°	Pisces	17:34	23:34	05:35	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

RISES17:06

BEST TIME23:20S · 46° high

SETS05:49

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:01

BEST TIME09:06S · 58° high

SETS16:13

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

RISES17:56

BEST TIME00:04S · 45° high

SETS06:12

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

RISES08:21

BEST TIME13:12S · 26° high

SETS17:55

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

RISES01:11

BEST TIME08:32S · 62° high

SETS15:56

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.