OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

3.37°S, 64.72°WAmerica/Manaus
Daylight+53.9°
14:24:59
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 27m of true darkness · 11h 48m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:09
Civil Dusk18:30
Nautical18:55
Full Dark19:19
Nadir00:03
Dark Ends04:46
Nautical05:11
Civil Dawn05:35
Sunrise05:56
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-25.0°
DISTANCE379,881 km
Moonrise16:07
Moonset03:43
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 -4.350.7°245°Libra05:5111:5618:01Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Below Horizon -2.0-7.9°284°Leo01:5207:5413:52Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Below Horizon 0.3-36.0°91°Pisces16:4822:4904:54Naked Eye
Mars♂ Below Horizon 1.0-16.1°288°Cancer01:2007:1913:17Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Optimal Visibility 0.466.5°220°Libra07:1413:2019:27Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-72.3°2°Taurus20:2402:2008:20Binoculars
Neptune♆ Below Horizon 7.8-28.4°92°Pisces16:1822:1904:24Telescope
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
RISES16:07
BEST TIME22:17N · 82° high
SETS03:43
Reaches about 82° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:52
BEST TIME07:54N · 72° high
SETS13:52
Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES16:48
BEST TIME22:49N · 85° high
SETS04:54
Reaches about 85° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES05:51
BEST TIME11:56S · 75° high
SETS18:01
Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:20
BEST TIME07:19N · 69° high
SETS13:17
Reaches about 69° 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.