OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

32.34°S, 54.24°WAmerica/Montevideo
Daylight+41.8°
15:31:33
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM7h 57m of true darkness · 10h 51m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:55
Civil Dusk19:20
Nautical19:51
Full Dark20:22
Nadir00:21
Dark Ends04:19
Nautical04:50
Civil Dawn05:21
Sunrise05:46
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-12.0°
DISTANCE379,856 km
Moonrise16:29
Moonset04:02
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 -4.343.5°276°Libra05:2512:1419:03Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Below Horizon -2.0-23.9°272°Leo02:4408:1213:37Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Below Horizon 0.3-20.6°102°Pisces17:0923:0705:09Naked Eye
Mars♂ Below Horizon 1.0-32.9°271°Cancer02:2007:3712:53Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Optimal Visibility 0.462.5°287°Libra06:4113:3920:37Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-73.8°132°Taurus21:3202:3807:48Binoculars
Neptune♆ Below Horizon 7.8-13.4°100°Pisces16:3422:3704:44Telescope
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
RISES16:29
BEST TIME22:34N · 53° high
SETS04:02
Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · Good height
RISES02:44
BEST TIME08:12N · 43° high
SETS13:37
Reaches about 43° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES17:09
BEST TIME23:07N · 56° high
SETS05:09
Reaches about 56° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES05:25
BEST TIME12:14N · 76° high
SETS19:03
Reaches about 76° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · Good height
RISES02:20
BEST TIME07:37N · 40° high
SETS12:53
Reaches about 40° 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.