OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

38.66°N, 3.07°WEurope/Madrid

Daylight+11.2°

18:18:24

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 7m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:23

Civil Dusk19:50

Nautical20:21

Full Dark20:52

Nadir01:56

Dark Ends07:01

Nautical07:32

Civil Dawn08:03

Sunrise08:30

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE5.2°

DISTANCE380,355 km

Moonrise17:47

Moonset06:29

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX8% · 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	5.6°	242°	Libra	08:49	13:50	18:52	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-17.5°	306°	Leo	02:55	09:48	16:37	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-3.5°	85°	Pisces	18:36	00:43	06:53	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-19.7°	316°	Cancer	02:09	09:13	16:16	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	16.5°	224°	Libra	10:23	15:14	20:06	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-23.4°	31°	Taurus	21:00	04:14	11:31	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Rising / Setting	7.8	0.9°	91°	Pisces	18:12	00:13	06:14	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

RISES17:47

BEST TIME00:02S · 54° high

SETS06:29

Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:55

BEST TIME09:48S · 66° high

SETS16:37

Reaches about 66° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:36

BEST TIME00:43S · 53° high

SETS06:53

Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:49

BEST TIME13:50S · 33° high

SETS18:52

Reaches about 33° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:09

BEST TIME09:13S · 69° high

SETS16:16

Reaches about 69° 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.