OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

37.25°N, 7.20°WEurope/Madrid

Daylight+15.7°

18:12:37

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 4m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:41

Civil Dusk20:08

Nautical20:38

Full Dark21:08

Nadir02:13

Dark Ends07:17

Nautical07:48

Civil Dawn08:18

Sunrise08:45

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE1.1°

DISTANCE380,377 km

Moonrise18:04

Moonset06:45

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX2% · Minimal Lunar Glare

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

41/100

Fair Stargazing

Partial haze or lunar wash. Bright clusters, double stars, and prominent planets remain well visible.

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♀	Visible Low	-4.3	10.1°	238°	Libra	09:03	14:07	19:12	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-14.6°	302°	Leo	03:14	10:04	16:51	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-8.1°	82°	Pisces	18:53	00:59	07:09	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-17.5°	311°	Cancer	02:28	09:29	16:29	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	20.5°	220°	Libra	10:36	15:31	20:26	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-26.7°	26°	Taurus	21:21	04:30	11:44	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-3.3°	88°	Pisces	18:29	00:29	06:34	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

RISES18:04

BEST TIME00:20S · 55° high

SETS06:45

Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES03:14

BEST TIME10:04S · 67° high

SETS16:51

Reaches about 67° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:53

BEST TIME00:59S · 54° high

SETS07:09

Reaches about 54° 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 TIME14:07S · 35° high

SETS19:12

Reaches about 35° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:28

BEST TIME09:29S · 71° high

SETS16:29

Reaches about 71° 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.