OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

42.33°N, 2.07°WEurope/Madrid

Daylight+12.6°

17:56:21

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 10m of true darkness · 13h 17m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:14

Civil Dusk19:42

Nautical20:15

Full Dark20:48

Nadir01:52

Dark Ends06:57

Nautical07:30

Civil Dawn08:02

Sunrise08:31

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE1.9°

DISTANCE380,438 km

Moonrise17:43

Moonset06:27

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX3% · Minimal Lunar Glare

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

41/100

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♀	Rising / Setting	-4.3	6.7°	238°	Libra	08:54	13:46	18:40	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-12.5°	304°	Leo	02:44	09:44	16:40	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-6.5°	81°	Pisces	18:32	00:39	06:50	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-14.7°	313°	Cancer	01:56	09:09	16:20	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	16.1°	220°	Libra	10:29	15:10	19:52	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-21.8°	26°	Taurus	20:46	04:10	11:38	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-2.3°	88°	Pisces	18:08	00:09	06:14	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

RISES17:43

BEST TIME23:58S · 50° high

SETS06:27

Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:44

BEST TIME09:44S · 62° high

SETS16:40

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

RISES18:32

BEST TIME00:39S · 49° high

SETS06:50

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

RISES08:54

BEST TIME13:46S · 30° high

SETS18:40

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

RISES01:56

BEST TIME09:09S · 66° high

SETS16:20

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.