Tonight from Quito

Tonight in Quito, Ecuador, the sun sets at 18:20 local time and astronomical darkness — when even the faintest stars become visible — arrives at 19:35. The moon is in waxing gibbous phase, 94% illuminated. 4 major planets are above the horizon as night falls. Sunrise comes at 06:13.

At low latitude near the equator, night length is roughly constant year-round — about twelve hours regardless of season. From near the equator, both celestial poles sit on opposite horizons — the northern circumpolar stars (the Big Dipper, Polaris) and the southern (the Southern Cross, the Magellanic Clouds) are all reachable across the year.