OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

38.37°N, 2.32°WEurope/Madrid

Daylight+0.0°

19:19:04

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 6m 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

Nadir01:53

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%

ALTITUDE17.3°

DISTANCE380,127 km

Moonrise17:44

Moonset06:26

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX28% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

32/100

Challenging Stargazing

High cloud cover or severe light interference. Recommend bright planetary observation or indoor planning.

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	-5.3°	252°	Libra	08:46	13:48	18:50	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-26.8°	320°	Leo	02:52	09:45	16:34	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Rising / Setting	0.3	8.4°	95°	Pisces	18:33	00:40	06:46	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-27.6°	330°	Cancer	02:06	09:10	16:12	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	7.2°	236°	Libra	10:20	15:11	20:03	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-15.8°	45°	Taurus	20:58	04:11	11:28	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	13.0°	101°	Pisces	18:09	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

RISES17:44

BEST TIME23:59S · 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

RISES02:52

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

RISES18:33

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

RISES08:46

BEST TIME13:48S · 34° high

SETS18:50

Reaches about 34° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:06

BEST TIME09:10S · 70° high

SETS16:12

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.