OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

45.40°S, 72.69°WAmerica/Coyhaique
Daylight+51.7°
14:59:09
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM6h 29m of true darkness · 10h 13m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset20:28
Civil Dusk20:59
Nautical21:38
Full Dark22:20
Nadir01:34
Dark Ends04:49
Nautical05:31
Civil Dawn06:09
Sunrise06:40
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
SunsetSunrise
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry
30° ALT60° ALTZENITHNESW Arcturus Altair Spica Antares Venus (-4.3) Mercury (0.4)
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION93%
ALTITUDE-28.0°
DISTANCE379,977 km
Moonrise17:51
Moonset05:17
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 -4.356.7°318°Libra06:0913:2820:46Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Below Horizon -2.0-5.1°285°Leo04:2309:2614:28Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Below Horizon 0.3-33.8°130°Pisces18:2400:2006:21Naked Eye
Mars♂ Below Horizon 1.0-13.5°281°Cancer04:0508:5113:38Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Optimal Visibility 0.465.5°356°Libra07:1814:5222:26Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-62.9°209°Taurus23:2003:5608:27Binoculars
Neptune♆ Below Horizon 7.8-28.1°124°Pisces17:4723:5105:59Telescope
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 · Good height
RISES17:51
BEST TIME23:50N · 40° high
SETS05:17
Reaches about 40° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · Good height
RISES04:23
BEST TIME09:26N · 30° high
SETS14:28
Reaches about 30° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · Good height
RISES18:24
BEST TIME00:20N · 43° high
SETS06:21
Reaches about 43° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES06:09
BEST TIME13:28N · 63° high
SETS20:46
Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · Good height
RISES04:05
BEST TIME08:51N · 27° high
SETS13:38
Reaches about 27° 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.