OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

33.60°S, 55.64°WAmerica/Montevideo
Daylight+47.5°
15:06:30
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM7h 51m of true darkness · 10h 48m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset19:02
Civil Dusk19:28
Nautical19:59
Full Dark20:31
Nadir00:26
Dark Ends04:22
Nautical04:54
Civil Dawn05:24
Sunrise05:50
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-18.0°
DISTANCE379,950 km
Moonrise16:35
Moonset04:07
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 -4.349.7°282°Libra05:2812:2019:11Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Below Horizon -2.0-17.6°276°Leo02:5108:1813:40Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Below Horizon 0.3-26.6°108°Pisces17:1423:1205:14Naked Eye
Mars♂ Below Horizon 1.0-26.5°274°Cancer02:2807:4312:56Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Optimal Visibility 0.467.9°300°Libra06:4313:4420:45Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-76.5°159°Taurus21:4002:4407:51Binoculars
Neptune♆ Below Horizon 7.8-19.5°104°Pisces16:4022:4304:49Telescope
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
RISES16:35
BEST TIME22:39N · 52° high
SETS04:07
Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · Good height
RISES02:51
BEST TIME08:18N · 42° high
SETS13:40
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
RISES17:14
BEST TIME23:12N · 55° high
SETS05:14
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
RISES05:28
BEST TIME12:20N · 74° high
SETS19:11
Reaches about 74° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · Good height
RISES02:28
BEST TIME07:43N · 39° high
SETS12:56
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.