OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

41.00°N, 4.65°WEurope/Madrid

Daylight+5.1°

18:54:06

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 10m of true darkness · 13h 14m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:26

Civil Dusk19:54

Nautical20:26

Full Dark20:58

Nadir02:03

Dark Ends07:07

Nautical07:39

Civil Dawn08:11

Sunrise08:40

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE10.5°

DISTANCE380,221 km

Moonrise17:53

Moonset06:37

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX17% · Minimal Lunar Glare

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

36/100

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	-0.1°	246°	Libra	09:01	13:57	18:53	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-20.3°	313°	Leo	02:57	09:54	16:48	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Rising / Setting	0.3	1.9°	90°	Pisces	18:42	00:49	07:00	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-21.7°	323°	Cancer	02:10	09:19	16:27	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	10.8°	230°	Libra	10:36	15:21	20:06	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-18.2°	37°	Taurus	21:00	04:20	11:44	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Rising / Setting	7.8	6.2°	96°	Pisces	18:19	00:19	06:20	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

RISES17:53

BEST TIME00:09S · 51° high

SETS06:37

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:57

BEST TIME09:54S · 63° high

SETS16:48

Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:42

BEST TIME00:49S · 50° high

SETS07:00

Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES09:01

BEST TIME13:57S · 31° high

SETS18:53

Reaches about 31° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:10

BEST TIME09:19S · 67° high

SETS16:27

Reaches about 67° 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.