OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

42.41°N, 6.30°WEurope/Madrid

Nautical Twilight-7.6° (−6° to −12°)

20:11:50

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

Sunset19:31

Civil Dusk19:59

Nautical20:32

Full Dark21:04

Nadir02:09

Dark Ends07:14

Nautical07:47

Civil Dawn08:19

Sunrise08:48

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE22.8°

DISTANCE379,930 km

Moonrise18:00

Moonset06:45

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX36% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

59/100

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	-13.2°	258°	Libra	09:11	14:03	18:56	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-27.6°	330°	Leo	03:01	10:01	16:57	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	14.8°	102°	Pisces	18:48	00:56	07:03	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-26.9°	340°	Cancer	02:13	09:26	16:37	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-0.4°	242°	Libra	10:46	15:27	20:08	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-7.8°	51°	Taurus	21:03	04:27	11:55	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	18.8°	109°	Pisces	18:25	00:26	06:26	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

RISES18:00

BEST TIME00:16S · 50° high

SETS06:45

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES03:01

BEST TIME10:01S · 62° high

SETS16:57

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

RISES18:48

BEST TIME00:56S · 49° high

SETS07:03

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

RISES09:11

BEST TIME14:03S · 30° high

SETS18:56

Reaches about 30° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:13

BEST TIME09:26S · 66° high

SETS16:37

Reaches about 66° 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.