OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

36.74°S, 72.30°WAmerica/Santiago

Daylight+63.8°

14:06:08

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM7h 34m of true darkness · 10h 40m total night

DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset20:13

Civil Dusk20:40

Nautical21:12

Full Dark21:46

Nadir01:33

Dark Ends05:19

Nautical05:53

Civil Dawn06:26

Sunrise06:53

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE-40.3°

DISTANCE380,176 km

Moonrise17:46

Moonset05:15

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

All times calibrated to America/Santiago

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Optimal Visibility	-4.3	69.3°	332°	Libra	06:28	13:26	20:23	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	6.4°	293°	Leo	04:06	09:24	14:42	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-46.8°	139°	Pisces	18:21	00:19	06:21	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-1.7°	291°	Cancer	03:43	08:50	13:56	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	71.4°	35°	Libra	07:42	14:51	21:59	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-61.8°	243°	Taurus	22:54	03:54	08:50	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-41.1°	132°	Pisces	17:46	23:49	05:56	Telescope

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

RISES17:46

BEST TIME23:48N · 48° high

SETS05:15

Reaches about 48° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · Good height

RISES04:06

BEST TIME09:24N · 39° high

SETS14:42

Reaches about 39° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:21

BEST TIME00:19N · 52° high

SETS06:21

Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:28

BEST TIME13:26N · 71° high

SETS20:23

Reaches about 71° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · Good height

RISES03:43

BEST TIME08:50N · 35° high

SETS13:56

Reaches about 35° 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

0 / 6 targets logged tonight

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.