OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

41.52°N, 1.75°EEurope/Madrid

Astronomical Twilight-16.4° (−12° to −18°)

20:27:13

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 10m of true darkness · 13h 15m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:00

Civil Dusk19:28

Nautical20:00

Full Dark20:32

Nadir01:37

Dark Ends06:42

Nautical07:14

Civil Dawn07:46

Sunrise08:15

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE31.2°

DISTANCE379,873 km

Moonrise17:27

Moonset06:10

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX48% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

65/100

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	-21.9°	265°	Libra	08:37	13:31	18:26	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-32.0°	343°	Leo	02:30	09:29	16:23	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	23.5°	110°	Pisces	18:16	00:23	06:30	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-29.8°	353°	Cancer	01:43	08:54	16:03	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-8.2°	250°	Libra	10:12	14:55	19:39	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-1.0°	60°	Taurus	20:33	03:55	11:20	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	27.3°	118°	Pisces	17:53	23:54	05:54	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

RISES17:27

BEST TIME23:43S · 51° high

SETS06:10

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:30

BEST TIME09:29S · 63° high

SETS16:23

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

RISES18:16

BEST TIME00:23S · 50° high

SETS06:30

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

RISES08:37

BEST TIME13:31S · 30° high

SETS18:26

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

RISES01:43

BEST TIME08:54S · 66° high

SETS16:03

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.