OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

6.44°S, 35.92°WAmerica/Sao_Paulo
Daylight+50.6°
13:46:26
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 20m of true darkness · 11h 42m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset17:16
Civil Dusk17:37
Nautical18:02
Full Dark18:27
Nadir23:07
Dark Ends03:48
Nautical04:13
Civil Dawn04:37
Sunrise04:59
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-20.0°
DISTANCE380,250 km
Moonrise15:08
Moonset02:44
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 -4.348.1°250°Libra04:5211:0117:11Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Below Horizon -2.0-12.6°283°Leo01:0106:5912:54Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Below Horizon 0.3-31.8°92°Pisces15:5321:5403:58Naked Eye
Mars♂ Below Horizon 1.0-21.0°287°Cancer00:2906:2412:18Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Optimal Visibility 0.465.7°231°Libra06:1412:2618:37Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-74.6°17°Taurus19:3301:2507:21Binoculars
Neptune♆ Below Horizon 7.8-24.1°93°Pisces15:2321:2403:29Telescope
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
RISES15:08
BEST TIME21:18N · 80° high
SETS02:44
Reaches about 80° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:01
BEST TIME06:59N · 69° high
SETS12:54
Reaches about 69° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES15:53
BEST TIME21:54N · 82° high
SETS03:58
Reaches about 82° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES04:52
BEST TIME11:01S · 78° high
SETS17:11
Reaches about 78° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES00:29
BEST TIME06:24N · 66° high
SETS12:18
Reaches about 66° 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.