OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

42.75°N, 8.44°WEurope/Madrid

Nautical Twilight-8.9° (−6° to −12°)

20:27:08

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 10m of true darkness · 13h 19m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:39

Civil Dusk20:07

Nautical20:40

Full Dark21:13

Nadir02:18

Dark Ends07:23

Nautical07:55

Civil Dawn08:28

Sunrise08:57

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE23.8°

DISTANCE379,873 km

Moonrise18:08

Moonset06:54

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX37% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

59/100

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♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-14.5°	259°	Libra	09:20	14:12	19:04	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-27.9°	332°	Leo	03:09	10:09	17:06	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	15.9°	103°	Pisces	18:57	01:04	07:11	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-27.0°	342°	Cancer	02:21	09:34	16:47	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-1.7°	243°	Libra	10:56	15:36	20:16	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-6.6°	53°	Taurus	21:10	04:35	12:05	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	19.8°	110°	Pisces	18:34	00:34	06:35	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

RISES18:08

BEST TIME00:25S · 50° high

SETS06:54

Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES03:09

BEST TIME10:09S · 62° high

SETS17:06

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

RISES18:57

BEST TIME01:04S · 49° high

SETS07:11

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 TIME14:12S · 29° high

SETS19:04

Reaches about 29° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:21

BEST TIME09:34S · 65° high

SETS16:47

Reaches about 65° 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.