OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

39.89°N, 4.27°EEurope/Madrid

Deep Astronomical Night-27.8° (< −18°)

21:16:19

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

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

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:52

Civil Dusk19:19

Nautical19:51

Full Dark20:22

Nadir01:27

Dark Ends06:32

Nautical07:03

Civil Dawn07:35

Sunrise08:02

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE41.2°

DISTANCE379,689 km

Moonrise17:17

Moonset05:59

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX61% · Heavy Lunar Wash

Bright moonlight washes out deep sky targets. Focus on lunar craters and bright planets.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

70/100

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	-33.2°	274°	Libra	08:16	13:21	18:20	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-35.3°	360°	Leo	02:23	09:18	16:10	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	34.3°	122°	Pisces	18:07	00:13	06:20	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-31.3°	9°	Cancer	01:37	08:42	15:49	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-18.6°	258°	Libra	09:57	14:45	19:33	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	7.9°	69°	Taurus	20:28	03:45	11:06	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	37.4°	131°	Pisces	17:43	23:44	05:44	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

RISES17:17

BEST TIME23:32S · 52° high

SETS05:59

Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:23

BEST TIME09:18S · 65° high

SETS16:10

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:07

BEST TIME00:13S · 52° high

SETS06:20

Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:16

BEST TIME13:21S · 32° high

SETS18:20

Reaches about 32° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:37

BEST TIME08:42S · 68° high

SETS15:49

Reaches about 68° 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.