OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

43.22°N, 9.01°WEurope/Madrid

Astronomical Twilight-13.7° (−12° to −18°)

20:54:58

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 10m of true darkness · 13h 20m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:40

Civil Dusk20:09

Nautical20:42

Full Dark21:15

Nadir02:20

Dark Ends07:25

Nautical07:58

Civil Dawn08:31

Sunrise09:00

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE27.9°

DISTANCE379,769 km

Moonrise18:11

Moonset06:57

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX43% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

67/100

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	-19.2°	264°	Libra	09:24	14:14	19:05	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-29.4°	339°	Leo	03:10	10:11	17:10	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	20.3°	108°	Pisces	18:59	01:06	07:14	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-27.7°	349°	Cancer	02:22	09:37	16:50	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-6.2°	248°	Libra	11:00	15:38	20:17	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-2.5°	57°	Taurus	21:11	04:38	12:08	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	24.0°	115°	Pisces	18:36	00:37	06:37	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

RISES18:11

BEST TIME00:27S · 49° high

SETS06:57

Reaches about 49° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES03:10

BEST TIME10:11S · 61° high

SETS17:10

Reaches about 61° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:59

BEST TIME01:06S · 48° high

SETS07:14

Reaches about 48° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES09:24

BEST TIME14:14S · 29° high

SETS19:05

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

RISES02:22

BEST TIME09:37S · 65° high

SETS16:50

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.