OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

40.32°N, 3.86°WEurope/Madrid

Daylight+0.6°

19:18:59

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 10m of true darkness · 13h 12m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:24

Civil Dusk19:51

Nautical20:23

Full Dark20:55

Nadir02:00

Dark Ends07:04

Nautical07:36

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%

ALTITUDE15.7°

DISTANCE380,128 km

Moonrise17:50

Moonset06:33

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX25% · Minimal Lunar Glare

Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

33/100

Challenging Stargazing

High cloud cover or severe light interference. Recommend bright planetary observation or indoor planning.

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	-4.7°	251°	Libra	08:56	13:54	18:52	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-24.5°	319°	Leo	02:55	09:51	16:43	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Rising / Setting	0.3	7.1°	94°	Pisces	18:39	00:46	06:53	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-25.3°	329°	Cancer	02:08	09:16	16:23	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	7.1°	235°	Libra	10:31	15:18	20:04	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-15.2°	43°	Taurus	20:59	04:17	11:39	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	11.5°	100°	Pisces	18:16	00:16	06:17	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

RISES17:50

BEST TIME00:06S · 52° high

SETS06:33

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:55

BEST TIME09:51S · 64° high

SETS16:43

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:39

BEST TIME00:46S · 51° high

SETS06:53

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:56

BEST TIME13:54S · 32° high

SETS18:52

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

RISES02:08

BEST TIME09:16S · 68° high

SETS16:23

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.