OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

40.60°N, 3.50°WEurope/Madrid

Daylight+11.1°

18:15:38

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 10m of true darkness · 13h 12m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:22

Civil Dusk19:50

Nautical20:22

Full Dark20:53

Nadir01:58

Dark Ends07:03

Nautical07:34

Civil Dawn08:06

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%

ALTITUDE4.3°

DISTANCE380,365 km

Moonrise17:49

Moonset06:32

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX7% · Minimal Lunar Glare

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

39/100

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	5.4°	241°	Libra	08:55	13:52	18:49	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-15.6°	306°	Leo	02:53	09:49	16:43	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-4.2°	84°	Pisces	18:38	00:44	06:55	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-17.7°	315°	Cancer	02:06	09:15	16:22	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	15.7°	223°	Libra	10:30	15:16	20:02	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-22.1°	30°	Taurus	20:57	04:16	11:39	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Rising / Setting	7.8	0.2°	90°	Pisces	18:14	00:15	06:19	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

RISES17:49

BEST TIME00:04S · 52° high

SETS06:32

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:53

BEST TIME09:49S · 64° high

SETS16:43

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

RISES18:38

BEST TIME00:44S · 51° high

SETS06:55

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

RISES08:55

BEST TIME13:52S · 31° high

SETS18:49

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

RISES02:06

BEST TIME09:15S · 67° high

SETS16:22

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.