OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

40.88°N, 0.50°EEurope/Madrid

Daylight+7.4°

18:20:58

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 10m of true darkness · 13h 13m total night

DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:05

Civil Dusk19:33

Nautical20:05

Full Dark20:37

Nadir01:42

Dark Ends06:47

Nautical07:19

Civil Dawn07:51

Sunrise08:19

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE8.2°

DISTANCE380,345 km

Moonrise17:32

Moonset06:15

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX13% · Minimal Lunar Glare

Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

37/100

Challenging Stargazing

High cloud cover or severe light interference. Recommend bright planetary observation or indoor planning.

CLOUD COVER15%

HUMIDITY50%

VISIBILITY18 km

DEW POINT10.8°C

PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

All times calibrated to Europe/Madrid

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Rising / Setting	-4.3	1.9°	244°	Libra	08:40	13:36	18:33	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-18.6°	310°	Leo	02:37	09:34	16:27	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-0.2°	87°	Pisces	18:22	00:28	06:40	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-20.3°	320°	Cancer	01:49	08:59	16:06	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	12.7°	227°	Libra	10:15	15:00	19:46	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-19.7°	35°	Taurus	20:40	04:00	11:23	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Rising / Setting	7.8	3.9°	94°	Pisces	17:58	23:59	05:59	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

RISES17:32

BEST TIME23:48S · 52° high

SETS06:15

Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:37

BEST TIME09:34S · 64° high

SETS16:27

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:22

BEST TIME00:28S · 51° high

SETS06:40

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:40

BEST TIME13:36S · 31° high

SETS18:33

Reaches about 31° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:49

BEST TIME08:59S · 67° high

SETS16:06

Reaches about 67° 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.