OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

42.00°N, 8.87°WEurope/Madrid

Daylight+10.6°

18:36:27

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 10m of true darkness · 13h 16m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:41

Civil Dusk20:10

Nautical20:42

Full Dark21:15

Nadir02:20

Dark Ends07:24

Nautical07:57

Civil Dawn08:29

Sunrise08:58

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE4.1°

DISTANCE380,287 km

Moonrise18:10

Moonset06:55

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX7% · Minimal Lunar Glare

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

39/100

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♀	Rising / Setting	-4.3	4.9°	241°	Libra	09:20	14:14	19:08	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-14.7°	306°	Leo	03:12	10:11	17:07	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-4.2°	84°	Pisces	18:59	01:06	07:17	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-16.7°	315°	Cancer	02:24	09:36	16:47	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	14.8°	223°	Libra	10:55	15:38	20:20	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-20.9°	29°	Taurus	21:14	04:37	12:04	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Rising / Setting	7.8	0.1°	90°	Pisces	18:35	00:36	06:41	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

RISES18:10

BEST TIME00:26S · 51° high

SETS06:55

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES03:12

BEST TIME10:11S · 62° high

SETS17:07

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

RISES18:59

BEST TIME01:06S · 49° high

SETS07:17

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

RISES09:20

BEST TIME14:14S · 30° high

SETS19:08

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

RISES02:24

BEST TIME09:36S · 66° high

SETS16:47

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.