OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

7.65°S, 40.15°WAmerica/Recife
Daylight+38.2°
14:54:45
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
Sunset17:34
Civil Dusk17:55
Nautical18:20
Full Dark18:45
Nadir23:24
Dark Ends04:03
Nautical04:28
Civil Dawn04:53
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
ILLUMINATION93%
ALTITUDE-7.8°
DISTANCE379,994 km
Moonrise15:26
Moonset03:02
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 -4.336.3°253°Libra05:0711:1817:29Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Below Horizon -2.0-25.5°282°Leo01:1907:1613:09Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Below Horizon 0.3-18.9°91°Pisces16:1022:1104:15Naked Eye
Mars♂ Below Horizon 1.0-33.7°286°Cancer00:4706:4112:33Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Optimal Visibility 0.455.5°244°Libra06:2912:4218:56Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-68.2°50°Taurus19:5201:4207:35Binoculars
Neptune♆ Below Horizon 7.8-11.2°92°Pisces15:3921:4103:46Telescope
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
RISES15:26
BEST TIME21:35N · 78° high
SETS03:02
Reaches about 78° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:19
BEST TIME07:16N · 68° high
SETS13:09
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
RISES16:10
BEST TIME22:11N · 81° high
SETS04:15
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
RISES05:07
BEST TIME11:18S · 80° high
SETS17:29
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 TIME06:41N · 64° high
SETS12:33
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.