OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

42.62°S, 73.78°WAmerica/Santiago

Daylight+58.2°

14:12:05

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM6h 53m of true darkness · 10h 22m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset20:27

Civil Dusk20:57

Nautical21:33

Full Dark22:12

Nadir01:39

Dark Ends05:05

Nautical05:44

Civil Dawn06:20

Sunrise06:50

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-36.8°

DISTANCE380,154 km

Moonrise17:54

Moonset05:22

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	64.0°	338°	Libra	06:21	13:32	20:43	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	4.1°	294°	Leo	04:22	09:30	14:38	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-42.2°	143°	Pisces	18:28	00:25	06:26	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-3.7°	290°	Cancer	04:02	08:55	13:49	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	66.3°	27°	Libra	07:32	14:57	22:21	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-58.7°	234°	Taurus	23:16	04:00	08:40	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-37.0°	136°	Pisces	17:51	23:55	06:03	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 · Good height

RISES17:54

BEST TIME23:54N · 42° high

SETS05:22

Reaches about 42° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · Good height

RISES04:22

BEST TIME09:30N · 33° high

SETS14:38

Reaches about 33° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:28

BEST TIME00:25N · 46° high

SETS06:26

Reaches about 46° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:21

BEST TIME13:32N · 65° high

SETS20:43

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · Good height

RISES04:02

BEST TIME08:55N · 30° high

SETS13:49

Reaches about 30° 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.