OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

36.52°N, 4.89°WEurope/Madrid

Astronomical Twilight-17.9° (−12° to −18°)

21:01:20

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 2m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:33

Civil Dusk19:59

Nautical20:29

Full Dark20:59

Nadir02:04

Dark Ends07:08

Nautical07:38

Civil Dawn08:08

Sunrise08:35

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE34.9°

DISTANCE379,745 km

Moonrise17:55

Moonset06:35

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX53% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

63/100

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	-22.9°	264°	Libra	08:45	13:58	19:04	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-37.2°	344°	Leo	03:06	09:55	16:41	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	26.6°	110°	Pisces	18:44	00:50	06:56	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-35.0°	355°	Cancer	02:21	09:20	16:18	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-7.9°	250°	Libra	10:25	15:22	20:18	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-2.1°	61°	Taurus	21:13	04:21	11:33	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	30.9°	117°	Pisces	18:20	00:20	06:21	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

RISES17:55

BEST TIME00:10S · 56° high

SETS06:35

Reaches about 56° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES03:06

BEST TIME09:55S · 68° high

SETS16:41

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:44

BEST TIME00:50S · 55° high

SETS06:56

Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:45

BEST TIME13:58S · 35° high

SETS19:04

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

RISES02:21

BEST TIME09:20S · 71° high

SETS16:18

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.