OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

41.82°N, 5.46°WEurope/Madrid

Astronomical Twilight-12.5° (−12° to −18°)

20:34:52

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 10m of true darkness · 13h 16m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:28

Civil Dusk19:56

Nautical20:29

Full Dark21:01

Nadir02:06

Dark Ends07:11

Nautical07:43

Civil Dawn08:15

Sunrise08:44

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE27.5°

DISTANCE379,844 km

Moonrise17:56

Moonset06:41

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX43% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

67/100

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	-18.0°	262°	Libra	09:06	14:00	18:54	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-30.3°	337°	Leo	02:59	09:57	16:53	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	19.6°	106°	Pisces	18:45	00:52	06:59	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-28.9°	347°	Cancer	02:11	09:23	16:33	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-4.6°	246°	Libra	10:41	15:24	20:07	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-4.2°	56°	Taurus	21:01	04:23	11:50	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	23.6°	114°	Pisces	18:22	00:23	06:23	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

RISES17:56

BEST TIME00:12S · 51° high

SETS06:41

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:59

BEST TIME09:57S · 63° high

SETS16:53

Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:45

BEST TIME00:52S · 50° high

SETS06:59

Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES09:06

BEST TIME14:00S · 30° high

SETS18:54

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

RISES02:11

BEST TIME09:23S · 66° high

SETS16:33

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.