OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

41.76°N, 4.70°WEurope/Madrid
Daylight+0.7°
19:19:21
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 10m of true darkness · 13h 16m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset19:25
Civil Dusk19:53
Nautical20:26
Full Dark20:58
Nadir02:03
Dark Ends07:08
Nautical07:40
Civil Dawn08:12
Sunrise08:41
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
SunsetSunrise
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry
30° ALT60° ALTZENITHNESW Polaris Vega Arcturus Capella Altair Antares Deneb Saturn (0.3) Mercury (0.4) Neptune (7.8) Moon (93%)
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION93%
ALTITUDE14.9°
DISTANCE380,126 km
Moonrise17:53
Moonset06:38
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX24% · Minimal Lunar Glare

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
33/100
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

PLANETSTATUSMAGNITUDEALTITUDEAZIMUTHCONSTELLATIONRISETRANSITSETEQUIPMENT
Venus♀ Below Horizon -4.3-4.7°251°Libra09:0313:5718:52Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Below Horizon -2.0-23.1°319°Leo02:5609:5416:50Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Rising / Setting 0.36.4°94°Pisces18:4200:4906:56Naked Eye
Mars♂ Below Horizon 1.0-23.7°329°Cancer02:0809:1916:29Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Rising / Setting 0.46.7°234°Libra10:3815:2120:04Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-14.6°42°Taurus20:5804:2011:47Binoculars
Neptune♆ Visible Low 7.810.7°100°Pisces18:1900:1906:20Telescope
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
RISES17:53
BEST TIME00:09S · 51° high
SETS06:38
Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES02:56
BEST TIME09:54S · 63° high
SETS16:50
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
RISES18:42
BEST TIME00:49S · 50° high
SETS06:56
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
RISES09:03
BEST TIME13:57S · 30° high
SETS18:52
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
RISES02:08
BEST TIME09:19S · 66° high
SETS16:29
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

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.