OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

42.57°N, 1.42°WEurope/Madrid

Deep Astronomical Night-18.8° (< −18°)

20:52:31

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 10m of true darkness · 13h 18m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:11

Civil Dusk19:40

Nautical20:12

Full Dark20:45

Nadir01:50

Dark Ends06:54

Nautical07:27

Civil Dawn08:00

Sunrise08:29

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE32.6°

DISTANCE379,778 km

Moonrise17:40

Moonset06:24

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX50% · Moderate Lunar Glow

Milky Way contrast is softened. Bright open clusters and double stars are optimal.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

74/100

Good Stargazing

Fine observing conditions. Open star clusters and nebulae will exhibit crisp structure.

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	-24.3°	268°	Libra	08:44	13:44	18:37	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-31.6°	346°	Leo	02:41	09:41	16:38	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	25.3°	113°	Pisces	18:29	00:36	06:43	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-29.0°	356°	Cancer	01:53	09:06	16:18	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-10.8°	252°	Libra	10:27	15:08	19:48	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	1.3°	62°	Taurus	20:43	04:07	11:36	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	28.8°	121°	Pisces	18:06	00:06	06:07	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

RISES17:40

BEST TIME23:56S · 50° high

SETS06:24

Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:41

BEST TIME09:41S · 62° high

SETS16:38

Reaches about 62° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:29

BEST TIME00:36S · 49° high

SETS06:43

Reaches about 49° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:44

BEST TIME13:44S · 29° high

SETS18:37

Reaches about 29° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:53

BEST TIME09:06S · 65° high

SETS16:18

Reaches about 65° 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.