OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

40.17°N, 4.40°WEurope/Madrid

Daylight+0.9°

19:19:30

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 10m of true darkness · 13h 11m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:26

Civil Dusk19:54

Nautical20:25

Full Dark20:57

Nadir02:02

Dark Ends07:06

Nautical07:38

Civil Dawn08:10

Sunrise08:37

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE15.5°

DISTANCE380,126 km

Moonrise17:52

Moonset06:35

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX25% · 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

All times calibrated to Europe/Madrid

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-4.4°	251°	Libra	08:58	13:56	18:54	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-24.5°	319°	Leo	02:58	09:53	16:45	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Rising / Setting	0.3	6.8°	94°	Pisces	18:41	00:48	06:55	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-25.2°	329°	Cancer	02:11	09:18	16:24	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	7.4°	235°	Libra	10:33	15:20	20:07	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-15.6°	43°	Taurus	21:02	04:19	11:41	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	11.2°	100°	Pisces	18:18	00:18	06:19	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

RISES17:52

BEST TIME00:08S · 52° high

SETS06:35

Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:58

BEST TIME09:53S · 64° high

SETS16:45

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:41

BEST TIME00:48S · 51° high

SETS06:55

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:58

BEST TIME13:56S · 32° high

SETS18:54

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

RISES02:11

BEST TIME09:18S · 68° high

SETS16:24

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.