OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

34.42°S, 57.87°WAmerica/Montevideo
Daylight+40.6°
15:49:25
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM7h 47m of true darkness · 10h 46m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset19:12
Civil Dusk19:38
Nautical20:09
Full Dark20:42
Nadir00:35
Dark Ends04:28
Nautical05:01
Civil Dawn05:32
Sunrise05:58
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-11.3°
DISTANCE379,790 km
Moonrise16:45
Moonset04:16
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 -4.342.5°277°Libra05:3612:2919:21Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Below Horizon -2.0-24.7°271°Leo03:0108:2613:48Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Below Horizon 0.3-19.5°103°Pisces17:2323:2105:23Naked Eye
Mars♂ Below Horizon 1.0-33.6°269°Cancer02:3807:5213:03Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Optimal Visibility 0.461.1°290°Libra06:5013:5320:56Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-71.8°135°Taurus21:5102:5207:58Binoculars
Neptune♆ Below Horizon 7.8-12.3°100°Pisces16:4922:5204:58Telescope
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
RISES16:45
BEST TIME22:49N · 51° high
SETS04:16
Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · Good height
RISES03:01
BEST TIME08:26N · 41° high
SETS13:48
Reaches about 41° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES17:23
BEST TIME23:21N · 54° high
SETS05:23
Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES05:36
BEST TIME12:29N · 74° high
SETS19:21
Reaches about 74° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · Good height
RISES02:38
BEST TIME07:52N · 38° high
SETS13:03
Reaches about 38° 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.