OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

39.65°N, 7.50°WEurope/Madrid

Daylight+8.8°

18:47:31

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

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

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:39

Civil Dusk20:07

Nautical20:38

Full Dark21:09

Nadir02:14

Dark Ends07:19

Nautical07:50

Civil Dawn08:22

Sunrise08:49

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE7.2°

DISTANCE380,246 km

Moonrise18:05

Moonset06:48

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX12% · Minimal Lunar Glare

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

38/100

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	3.3°	244°	Libra	09:09	14:08	19:08	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-18.6°	309°	Leo	03:11	10:05	16:57	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-1.2°	87°	Pisces	18:54	01:00	07:11	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-20.5°	318°	Cancer	02:24	09:31	16:35	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	14.3°	226°	Libra	10:44	15:32	20:21	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-21.3°	34°	Taurus	21:15	04:32	11:52	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Rising / Setting	7.8	3.0°	93°	Pisces	18:30	00:31	06:31	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

RISES18:05

BEST TIME00:21S · 53° high

SETS06:48

Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES03:11

BEST TIME10:05S · 65° high

SETS16:57

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:54

BEST TIME01:00S · 52° high

SETS07:11

Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES09:09

BEST TIME14:08S · 32° high

SETS19:08

Reaches about 32° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:24

BEST TIME09:31S · 68° high

SETS16:35

Reaches about 68° 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.