OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

43.42°N, 4.76°WEurope/Madrid

Astronomical Twilight-14.7° (−12° to −18°)

20:43:37

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 21m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:23

Civil Dusk19:52

Nautical20:25

Full Dark20:58

Nadir02:03

Dark Ends07:08

Nautical07:41

Civil Dawn08:14

Sunrise08:44

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE28.7°

DISTANCE379,811 km

Moonrise17:53

Moonset06:39

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX45% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

66/100

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	-20.3°	265°	Libra	09:07	13:57	18:48	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-29.6°	340°	Leo	02:53	09:54	16:53	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	21.2°	109°	Pisces	18:42	00:49	06:57	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-27.7°	350°	Cancer	02:04	09:20	16:34	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-7.2°	248°	Libra	10:43	15:21	19:59	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-1.5°	58°	Taurus	20:53	04:21	11:52	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	24.8°	117°	Pisces	18:19	00:20	06:20	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

RISES17:53

BEST TIME00:09S · 49° high

SETS06:39

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:53

BEST TIME09:54S · 61° high

SETS16:53

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

RISES18:42

BEST TIME00:49S · 48° high

SETS06:57

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

RISES09:07

BEST TIME13:57S · 29° high

SETS18:48

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

RISES02:04

BEST TIME09:20S · 65° high

SETS16:34

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.