OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

32.83°S, 53.83°WAmerica/Montevideo
Daylight+64.9°
13:17:37
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM7h 55m of true darkness · 10h 50m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:54
Civil Dusk19:19
Nautical19:50
Full Dark20:21
Nadir00:19
Dark Ends04:16
Nautical04:48
Civil Dawn05:18
Sunrise05:44
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-37.4°
DISTANCE380,358 km
Moonrise16:27
Moonset04:00
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 -4.369.2°312°Libra05:2312:1319:02Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Rising / Setting -2.03.1°289°Leo02:4608:1013:34Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Below Horizon 0.3-45.8°129°Pisces17:0723:0505:07Naked Eye
Mars♂ Below Horizon 1.0-5.3°288°Cancer02:2207:3612:50Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Optimal Visibility 0.477.3°22°Libra06:3813:3720:36Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-68.2°242°Taurus21:3202:4007:45Binoculars
Neptune♆ Below Horizon 7.8-39.4°123°Pisces16:3322:3504:42Telescope
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
RISES16:27
BEST TIME22:32N · 53° high
SETS04:00
Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · Good height
RISES02:46
BEST TIME08:10N · 43° high
SETS13:34
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
RISES17:07
BEST TIME23:05N · 56° high
SETS05:07
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
RISES05:23
BEST TIME12:13N · 75° high
SETS19:02
Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · Good height
RISES02:22
BEST TIME07:36N · 39° high
SETS12:50
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.