OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

16.46°S, 51.16°WAmerica/Sao_Paulo
Daylight+34.8°
15:56:27
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 56m of true darkness · 11h 25m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:26
Civil Dusk18:48
Nautical19:14
Full Dark19:40
Nadir00:08
Dark Ends04:36
Nautical05:03
Civil Dawn05:29
Sunrise05:51
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
ILLUMINATION93%
ALTITUDE-4.1°
DISTANCE379,764 km
Moonrise16:13
Moonset04:25
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 -4.334.1°259°Libra05:3912:0218:25Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Below Horizon -2.0-31.3°277°Leo02:1208:0013:44Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Below Horizon 0.3-14.2°93°Pisces16:5522:5404:58Naked Eye
Mars♂ Below Horizon 1.0-40.0°280°Cancer01:4307:2513:05Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Optimal Visibility 0.454.3°257°Libra06:5913:2619:54Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-68.4°74°Taurus20:5002:2608:05Binoculars
Neptune♆ Below Horizon 7.8-6.5°93°Pisces16:2322:2504:31Telescope
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
RISES16:13
BEST TIME22:21N · 69° high
SETS04:25
Reaches about 69° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES02:12
BEST TIME08:00N · 59° high
SETS13:44
Reaches about 59° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES16:55
BEST TIME22:54N · 72° high
SETS04:58
Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES05:39
BEST TIME12:02S · 88° high
SETS18:25
Reaches about 88° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:43
BEST TIME07:25N · 56° high
SETS13:05
Reaches about 56° 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.