OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

41.01°N, 0.38°EEurope/Madrid

Daylight+13.9°

17:42:13

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 10m of true darkness · 13h 14m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:06

Civil Dusk19:34

Nautical20:06

Full Dark20:38

Nadir01:43

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%

ALTITUDE1.2°

DISTANCE380,491 km

Moonrise17:33

Moonset06:16

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX2% · Minimal Lunar Glare

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

41/100

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	8.1°	238°	Libra	08:41	13:37	18:33	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-12.5°	303°	Leo	02:37	09:34	16:28	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-7.6°	81°	Pisces	18:22	00:29	06:40	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-15.0°	312°	Cancer	01:50	08:59	16:07	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	17.7°	219°	Libra	10:16	15:01	19:46	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-23.3°	26°	Taurus	20:40	04:00	11:24	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-3.1°	87°	Pisces	17:59	23:59	06:04	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

RISES17:33

BEST TIME23:48S · 51° high

SETS06:16

Reaches about 51° 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 · 63° high

SETS16:28

Reaches about 63° 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 TIME00:29S · 50° high

SETS06:40

Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:41

BEST TIME13:37S · 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

RISES01:50

BEST TIME08:59S · 67° high

SETS16:07

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.