OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

32.70°S, 57.63°WAmerica/Montevideo
Daylight+45.6°
15:25:34
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM7h 56m of true darkness · 10h 50m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset19:09
Civil Dusk19:34
Nautical20:05
Full Dark20:36
Nadir00:34
Dark Ends04:32
Nautical05:03
Civil Dawn05:34
Sunrise05:59
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-16.0°
DISTANCE379,879 km
Moonrise16:43
Moonset04:15
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 -4.347.5°279°Libra05:3812:2819:17Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Below Horizon -2.0-19.8°274°Leo02:5808:2513:50Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Below Horizon 0.3-24.6°106°Pisces17:2223:2005:22Naked Eye
Mars♂ Below Horizon 1.0-28.7°273°Cancer02:3407:5113:06Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Optimal Visibility 0.466.2°294°Libra06:5313:5220:51Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-76.2°147°Taurus21:4602:5108:01Binoculars
Neptune♆ Below Horizon 7.8-17.4°102°Pisces16:4822:5104:57Telescope
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
RISES16:43
BEST TIME22:48N · 53° high
SETS04:15
Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · Good height
RISES02:58
BEST TIME08:25N · 43° high
SETS13:50
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
RISES17:22
BEST TIME23:20N · 56° high
SETS05:22
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
RISES05:38
BEST TIME12:28N · 75° high
SETS19:17
Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · Good height
RISES02:34
BEST TIME07:51N · 39° high
SETS13:06
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.