OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

36.86°N, 4.14°WEurope/Madrid

Astronomical Twilight-13.5° (−12° to −18°)

20:36:29

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 3m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:29

Civil Dusk19:56

Nautical20:26

Full Dark20:56

Nadir02:01

Dark Ends07:05

Nautical07:35

Civil Dawn08:06

Sunrise08:32

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE30.8°

DISTANCE379,838 km

Moonrise17:52

Moonset06:32

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX48% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

65/100

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	-18.6°	261°	Libra	08:50	13:55	19:00	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-35.4°	338°	Leo	03:02	09:52	16:38	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	22.3°	106°	Pisces	18:41	00:47	06:53	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-34.0°	348°	Cancer	02:17	09:17	16:16	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-3.9°	247°	Libra	10:23	15:19	20:14	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-5.8°	58°	Taurus	21:09	04:18	11:31	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	26.7°	113°	Pisces	18:17	00:17	06:18	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

RISES17:52

BEST TIME00:07S · 56° high

SETS06:32

Reaches about 56° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES03:02

BEST TIME09:52S · 68° high

SETS16:38

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:41

BEST TIME00:47S · 55° high

SETS06:53

Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:50

BEST TIME13:55S · 35° high

SETS19:00

Reaches about 35° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:17

BEST TIME09:17S · 71° high

SETS16:16

Reaches about 71° 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.