OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

20.98°S, 48.91°WAmerica/Sao_Paulo
Daylight+68.6°
13:20:07
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 43m of true darkness · 11h 16m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:21
Civil Dusk18:44
Nautical19:11
Full Dark19:38
Nadir23:59
Dark Ends04:21
Nautical04:48
Civil Dawn05:15
Sunrise05:37
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) Jupiter (-2.0) Mercury (0.4)
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE-37.0°
DISTANCE380,348 km
Moonrise16:04
Moonset03:39
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 -4.369.3°274°Libra05:2311:5318:22Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Rising / Setting -2.02.0°286°Leo02:1207:5113:30Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Below Horizon 0.3-47.7°113°Pisces16:4622:4604:49Naked Eye
Mars♂ Below Horizon 1.0-6.6°286°Cancer01:4307:1612:50Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Optimal Visibility 0.489.5°274°Libra06:4213:1719:53Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-76.1°273°Taurus20:4902:2107:49Binoculars
Neptune♆ Below Horizon 7.8-40.3°110°Pisces16:1422:1604:22Telescope
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
RISES16:04
BEST TIME22:12N · 65° high
SETS03:39
Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES02:12
BEST TIME07:51N · 55° high
SETS13:30
Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES16:46
BEST TIME22:46N · 68° high
SETS04:49
Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES05:23
BEST TIME11:53N · 87° high
SETS18:22
Reaches about 87° 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 TIME07:16N · 51° high
SETS12:50
Reaches about 51° 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.