OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

41.38°N, 2.13°EEurope/Madrid

Nautical Twilight-11.7° (−6° to −12°)

20:00:45

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 10m of true darkness · 13h 15m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:58

Civil Dusk19:26

Nautical19:59

Full Dark20:31

Nadir01:36

Dark Ends06:40

Nautical07:12

Civil Dawn07:45

Sunrise08:13

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE27.1°

DISTANCE379,971 km

Moonrise17:26

Moonset06:09

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX42% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

57/100

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♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-17.2°	261°	Libra	08:35	13:30	18:25	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-30.4°	336°	Leo	02:29	09:27	16:22	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	19.1°	106°	Pisces	18:15	00:22	06:29	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-29.1°	346°	Cancer	01:42	08:52	16:01	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-3.8°	246°	Libra	10:10	14:54	19:38	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-5.0°	56°	Taurus	20:32	03:53	11:18	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	23.1°	113°	Pisces	17:52	23:52	05:53	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

RISES17:26

BEST TIME23:41S · 51° high

SETS06:09

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:29

BEST TIME09:27S · 63° high

SETS16:22

Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:15

BEST TIME00:22S · 50° high

SETS06:29

Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:35

BEST TIME13:30S · 31° high

SETS18:25

Reaches about 31° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:42

BEST TIME08:52S · 67° high

SETS16:01

Reaches about 67° 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.