OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

7.79°S, 39.95°WAmerica/Recife
Daylight+60.6°
13:22:22
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 18m of true darkness · 11h 40m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset17:33
Civil Dusk17:55
Nautical18:20
Full Dark18:45
Nadir23:24
Dark Ends04:02
Nautical04:27
Civil Dawn04:52
Sunrise05:14
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
SunsetSunrise
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry
30° ALT60° ALTZENITHNESW Vega Arcturus Altair Spica Antares Deneb Venus (-4.3) Mercury (0.4)
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE-29.8°
DISTANCE380,340 km
Moonrise15:25
Moonset03:01
HorizonBelow
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX0% · Minimal Lunar Glare

Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
42/100
Fair Stargazing

Partial haze or lunar wash. Bright clusters, double stars, and prominent planets remain well visible.

CLOUD COVER15%
HUMIDITY50%
VISIBILITY18 km
DEW POINT10.8°C
PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

PLANETSTATUSMAGNITUDEALTITUDEAZIMUTHCONSTELLATIONRISETRANSITSETEQUIPMENT
Venus♀ Optimal Visibility -4.357.9°248°Libra05:0611:1717:28Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Below Horizon -2.0-3.2°284°Leo01:1807:1513:08Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Below Horizon 0.3-41.8°95°Pisces16:0922:1004:14Naked Eye
Mars♂ Below Horizon 1.0-11.8°287°Cancer00:4706:4012:32Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Optimal Visibility 0.473.6°215°Libra06:2812:4218:55Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-75.8°339°Taurus19:5201:4507:35Binoculars
Neptune♆ Below Horizon 7.8-34.1°96°Pisces15:3921:4003:46Telescope
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
RISES15:25
BEST TIME21:35N · 78° high
SETS03:01
Reaches about 78° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:18
BEST TIME07:15N · 68° high
SETS13:08
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
RISES16:09
BEST TIME22:10N · 81° high
SETS04:14
Reaches about 81° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES05:06
BEST TIME11:17S · 80° high
SETS17:28
Reaches about 80° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES00:47
BEST TIME06:40N · 64° high
SETS12:32
Reaches about 64° 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

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.