OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

32.62°S, 54.75°WAmerica/Montevideo
Daylight+66.0°
13:13:47
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM7h 56m of true darkness · 10h 51m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:57
Civil Dusk19:23
Nautical19:53
Full Dark20:25
Nadir00:23
Dark Ends04:21
Nautical04:52
Civil Dawn05:22
Sunrise05:48
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) Jupiter (-2.0) Mercury (0.4)
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE-38.9°
DISTANCE380,372 km
Moonrise16:31
Moonset04:04
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 -4.370.5°315°Libra05:2712:1619:05Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Rising / Setting -2.04.6°290°Leo02:5008:1413:38Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Below Horizon 0.3-47.2°131°Pisces17:1123:0905:11Naked Eye
Mars♂ Below Horizon 1.0-3.7°288°Cancer02:2507:3912:54Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Optimal Visibility 0.476.8°29°Libra06:4213:4120:39Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-66.9°245°Taurus21:3502:4407:49Binoculars
Neptune♆ Below Horizon 7.8-40.8°125°Pisces16:3622:3904:46Telescope
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
RISES16:31
BEST TIME22:36N · 53° high
SETS04:04
Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · Good height
RISES02:50
BEST TIME08:14N · 43° high
SETS13:38
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
RISES17:11
BEST TIME23:09N · 56° high
SETS05:11
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
RISES05:27
BEST TIME12:16N · 75° high
SETS19:05
Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · Good height
RISES02:25
BEST TIME07:39N · 40° high
SETS12:54
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.