OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

38.50°N, 2.42°WEurope/Madrid

Deep Astronomical Night-20.5° (< −18°)

21:04:46

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 7m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:20

Civil Dusk19:47

Nautical20:18

Full Dark20:49

Nadir01:54

Dark Ends06:58

Nautical07:29

Civil Dawn08:00

Sunrise08:27

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE36.2°

DISTANCE379,733 km

Moonrise17:45

Moonset06:26

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX55% · 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	-25.7°	267°	Libra	08:39	13:48	18:50	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-35.9°	348°	Leo	02:53	09:45	16:34	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	28.3°	113°	Pisces	18:34	00:40	06:46	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-33.2°	359°	Cancer	02:07	09:10	16:13	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-11.0°	252°	Libra	10:20	15:12	20:04	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	0.9°	63°	Taurus	20:58	04:11	11:28	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	32.2°	121°	Pisces	18:10	00:10	06:11	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

RISES17:45

BEST TIME00:00S · 54° high

SETS06:26

Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:53

BEST TIME09:45S · 66° high

SETS16:34

Reaches about 66° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:34

BEST TIME00:40S · 53° high

SETS06:46

Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:39

BEST TIME13:48S · 33° high

SETS18:50

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

RISES02:07

BEST TIME09:10S · 70° high

SETS16:13

Reaches about 70° 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.