OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

39.05°N, 5.81°WEurope/Madrid

Deep Astronomical Night-19.0° (< −18°)

21:10:51

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 10m of true darkness · 13h 8m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:33

Civil Dusk20:00

Nautical20:32

Full Dark21:02

Nadir02:07

Dark Ends07:12

Nautical07:43

Civil Dawn08:14

Sunrise08:41

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE34.6°

DISTANCE379,710 km

Moonrise17:58

Moonset06:41

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX53% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

73/100

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	-24.3°	266°	Libra	08:54	14:01	19:02	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-35.1°	346°	Leo	03:05	09:59	16:49	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	26.8°	112°	Pisces	18:47	00:54	07:00	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-32.6°	356°	Cancer	02:19	09:24	16:27	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-9.8°	251°	Libra	10:35	15:25	20:16	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	0.0°	62°	Taurus	21:10	04:25	11:43	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	30.7°	119°	Pisces	18:23	00:24	06:25	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

RISES17:58

BEST TIME00:14S · 53° high

SETS06:41

Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES03:05

BEST TIME09:59S · 65° high

SETS16:49

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:47

BEST TIME00:54S · 52° high

SETS07:00

Reaches about 52° 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 TIME14:01S · 33° high

SETS19:02

Reaches about 33° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:19

BEST TIME09:24S · 69° high

SETS16:27

Reaches about 69° 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.