OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

22.41°S, 50.18°WAmerica/Sao_Paulo
Daylight+57.6°
14:13:20
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 38m of true darkness · 11h 13m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:28
Civil Dusk18:51
Nautical19:18
Full Dark19:45
Nadir00:04
Dark Ends04:23
Nautical04:51
Civil Dawn05:18
Sunrise05:41
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 Venus (-4.3) Mercury (0.4)
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE-26.2°
DISTANCE380,149 km
Moonrise16:10
Moonset03:44
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 -4.358.0°272°Libra05:2611:5818:30Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Below Horizon -2.0-8.9°282°Leo02:1807:5613:33Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Below Horizon 0.3-36.6°106°Pisces16:5222:5104:54Naked Eye
Mars♂ Below Horizon 1.0-17.9°282°Cancer01:4807:2112:53Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Optimal Visibility 0.478.2°275°Libra06:4413:2220:00Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-87.0°241°Taurus20:5602:2607:51Binoculars
Neptune♆ Below Horizon 7.8-29.0°104°Pisces16:1922:2104:27Telescope
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
RISES16:10
BEST TIME22:17N · 63° high
SETS03:44
Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES02:18
BEST TIME07:56N · 53° high
SETS13:33
Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES16:52
BEST TIME22:51N · 66° high
SETS04:54
Reaches about 66° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES05:26
BEST TIME11:58N · 86° high
SETS18:30
Reaches about 86° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:48
BEST TIME07:21N · 50° high
SETS12:53
Reaches about 50° 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.