OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

34.67°S, 56.22°WAmerica/Montevideo
Daylight+61.2°
13:45:11
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM7h 45m of true darkness · 10h 46m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset19:06
Civil Dusk19:32
Nautical20:03
Full Dark20:36
Nadir00:28
Dark Ends04:21
Nautical04:54
Civil Dawn05:25
Sunrise05:51
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
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE-33.5°
DISTANCE380,254 km
Moonrise16:38
Moonset04:10
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 -4.365.2°307°Libra05:2912:2219:15Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Below Horizon -2.0-0.6°287°Leo02:5908:2013:41Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Below Horizon 0.3-41.7°126°Pisces17:1723:1505:17Naked Eye
Mars♂ Below Horizon 1.0-9.5°285°Cancer02:3507:4512:56Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Optimal Visibility 0.476.3°2°Libra06:4313:4720:50Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-70.3°230°Taurus21:4502:5007:51Binoculars
Neptune♆ Below Horizon 7.8-35.2°120°Pisces16:4222:4504:52Telescope
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
RISES16:38
BEST TIME22:42N · 51° high
SETS04:10
Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · Good height
RISES02:59
BEST TIME08:20N · 41° high
SETS13:41
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
RISES17:17
BEST TIME23:15N · 54° high
SETS05:17
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
RISES05:29
BEST TIME12:22N · 73° high
SETS19:15
Reaches about 73° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · Good height
RISES02:35
BEST TIME07:45N · 37° high
SETS12:56
Reaches about 37° 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.