Tuesdays can be tough, but taking home $55 million can turn any day around. If you want a chance at the nifty nest egg, you might want to purchase a Mega Millions ticket today. And if you do hold a magic slip, then don't forget to tune in at 11 p.m. EST, which is when the draw for tonight's jackpot is set to take place at the studios of WSB-TV, Atlanta's ABC affiliate.

If you hit the big prize and want to take home every last penny, the total amount will be paid out in annual installments over a 29-year period. Otherwise, you have the option of an immediate lump sum payout of about $35 million. Before you agonize over that decision, though, you might want to consider that the winning the jackpot are about 1 in 259 million.

The lottery's winning numbers from the last drawing on Oct. 2 were 4, 14, 29, 31 and 47; the Mega Ball number was 9; and the Megaplier number was 2, according to the game's official website. No one took home the $47 million jackpot, but the multistate lottery crowned no fewer than four new millionaires in this month's first draw.

Three players who matched five numbers took home a payout of $1 million each, Mega Millions detailed. A fourth participant, meanwhile, had also ticked the Megaplier option and thus doubled the win to $2 million.

Mega Millions drawings take place every Tuesday and Friday, and the draw entry closes at 10:45 p.m. Eastern Time. Tickets to the game are sold in 43 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands -- a total of 45 jurisdictions. And while hitting the jackpot is a true feat, the odds of winning any prize are much better at about 1 in 15.

So if you want to give your luck a try tonight, then click here to find out how to watch the Mega Millions drawings at 11 p.m. EST.