OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

33.25°S, 56.01°WAmerica/Montevideo
Daylight+39.7°
15:47:48
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM7h 53m of true darkness · 10h 49m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset19:03
Civil Dusk19:29
Nautical19:59
Full Dark20:31
Nadir00:28
Dark Ends04:24
Nautical04:56
Civil Dawn05:26
Sunrise05:52
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) Mercury (0.4)
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION93%
ALTITUDE-10.1°
DISTANCE379,796 km
Moonrise16:37
Moonset04:09
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 -4.341.5°275°Libra05:3112:2119:11Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Below Horizon -2.0-25.9°270°Leo02:5208:1913:42Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Below Horizon 0.3-18.5°101°Pisces17:1623:1405:16Naked Eye
Mars♂ Below Horizon 1.0-34.8°269°Cancer02:2907:4412:58Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Optimal Visibility 0.460.4°287°Libra06:4613:4620:46Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-71.7°129°Taurus21:4102:4507:53Binoculars
Neptune♆ Below Horizon 7.8-11.3°98°Pisces16:4122:4404:51Telescope
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
RISES16:37
BEST TIME22:41N · 52° high
SETS04:09
Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · Good height
RISES02:52
BEST TIME08:19N · 42° high
SETS13:42
Reaches about 42° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES17:16
BEST TIME23:14N · 55° high
SETS05:16
Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES05:31
BEST TIME12:21N · 75° high
SETS19:11
Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · Good height
RISES02:29
BEST TIME07:44N · 39° high
SETS12:58
Reaches about 39° 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.