OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

40.72°N, 1.00°WEurope/Madrid

Deep Astronomical Night-23.1° (< −18°)

21:13:07

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

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

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:12

Civil Dusk19:40

Nautical20:12

Full Dark20:43

Nadir01:48

Dark Ends06:53

Nautical07:25

Civil Dawn07:57

Sunrise08:25

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE37.1°

DISTANCE379,701 km

Moonrise17:38

Moonset06:21

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX56% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

72/100

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	-28.5°	271°	Libra	08:38	13:42	18:39	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-34.2°	353°	Leo	02:43	09:39	16:33	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	29.8°	117°	Pisces	18:28	00:34	06:41	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-30.9°	2°	Cancer	01:56	09:03	16:12	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-14.3°	255°	Libra	10:20	15:06	19:52	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	4.1°	65°	Taurus	20:46	04:06	11:29	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	33.3°	125°	Pisces	18:04	00:05	06:05	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

RISES17:38

BEST TIME23:54S · 52° high

SETS06:21

Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:43

BEST TIME09:39S · 64° high

SETS16:33

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:28

BEST TIME00:34S · 51° high

SETS06:41

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:38

BEST TIME13:42S · 31° high

SETS18:39

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

RISES01:56

BEST TIME09:03S · 67° high

SETS16:12

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.