OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

29.30°S, 49.82°WAmerica/Sao_Paulo
Daylight+37.8°
15:35:27
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 11m of true darkness · 10h 59m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:34
Civil Dusk18:58
Nautical19:27
Full Dark19:57
Nadir00:03
Dark Ends04:09
Nautical04:38
Civil Dawn05:08
Sunrise05:32
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-7.5°
DISTANCE379,842 km
Moonrise16:10
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 -4.339.0°270°Libra05:1311:5718:40Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Below Horizon -2.0-28.5°271°Leo02:2207:5413:23Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Below Horizon 0.3-16.6°98°Pisces16:5122:4904:52Naked Eye
Mars♂ Below Horizon 1.0-37.5°271°Cancer01:5707:2012:40Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Optimal Visibility 0.458.6°278°Libra06:3013:2120:12Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-71.4°113°Taurus21:0802:2007:37Binoculars
Neptune♆ Below Horizon 7.8-9.2°96°Pisces16:1722:1904:26Telescope
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
RISES16:10
BEST TIME22:15N · 56° high
SETS03:43
Reaches about 56° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES02:22
BEST TIME07:54N · 46° high
SETS13:23
Reaches about 46° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES16:51
BEST TIME22:49N · 59° high
SETS04:52
Reaches about 59° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES05:13
BEST TIME11:57N · 79° high
SETS18:40
Reaches about 79° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · Good height
RISES01:57
BEST TIME07:20N · 43° high
SETS12:40
Reaches about 43° 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.