OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

42.41°N, 2.82°WEurope/Madrid

Daylight+10.7°

18:11:00

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 10m of true darkness · 13h 18m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:17

Civil Dusk19:45

Nautical20:18

Full Dark20:51

Nadir01:55

Dark Ends07:00

Nautical07:33

Civil Dawn08:05

Sunrise08:34

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE3.9°

DISTANCE380,383 km

Moonrise17:46

Moonset06:30

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX6% · Minimal Lunar Glare

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

40/100

Fair Stargazing

Partial haze or lunar wash. Bright clusters, double stars, and prominent planets remain well visible.

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	4.9°	240°	Libra	08:57	13:49	18:42	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-14.2°	306°	Leo	02:47	09:47	16:43	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-4.4°	83°	Pisces	18:35	00:42	06:53	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-16.2°	315°	Cancer	01:59	09:12	16:23	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	14.6°	222°	Libra	10:33	15:13	19:54	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-20.7°	29°	Taurus	20:49	04:13	11:41	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-0.1°	90°	Pisces	18:11	00:12	06:17	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

RISES17:46

BEST TIME00:01S · 50° high

SETS06:30

Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:47

BEST TIME09:47S · 62° high

SETS16:43

Reaches about 62° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:35

BEST TIME00:42S · 49° high

SETS06:53

Reaches about 49° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:57

BEST TIME13:49S · 30° high

SETS18:42

Reaches about 30° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:59

BEST TIME09:12S · 66° high

SETS16:23

Reaches about 66° 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.