OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

36.74°N, 6.44°WEurope/Madrid

Daylight+15.4°

18:12:53

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 2m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:39

Civil Dusk20:05

Nautical20:35

Full Dark21:05

Nadir02:10

Dark Ends07:14

Nautical07:44

Civil Dawn08:15

Sunrise08:41

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE1.7°

DISTANCE380,376 km

Moonrise18:01

Moonset06:42

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX3% · 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	9.8°	239°	Libra	08:59	14:04	19:10	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-15.4°	302°	Leo	03:12	10:01	16:47	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-7.5°	82°	Pisces	18:50	00:56	07:06	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-18.3°	311°	Cancer	02:26	09:26	16:25	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	20.5°	221°	Libra	10:32	15:28	20:24	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-26.9°	27°	Taurus	21:19	04:27	11:40	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-2.6°	88°	Pisces	18:26	00:26	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

RISES18:01

BEST TIME00:16S · 56° high

SETS06:42

Reaches about 56° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES03:12

BEST TIME10:01S · 68° high

SETS16:47

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:50

BEST TIME00:56S · 55° high

SETS07:06

Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:59

BEST TIME14:04S · 35° high

SETS19:10

Reaches about 35° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:26

BEST TIME09:26S · 71° high

SETS16:25

Reaches about 71° 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.