OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

44.73°S, 72.68°WAmerica/Punta_Arenas

Daylight+54.9°

14:29:35

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM6h 36m of true darkness · 10h 15m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset20:27

Civil Dusk20:58

Nautical21:35

Full Dark22:16

Nadir01:34

Dark Ends04:52

Nautical05:33

Civil Dawn06:11

Sunrise06:42

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE-32.6°

DISTANCE380,088 km

Moonrise17:50

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

All times calibrated to America/Punta_Arenas

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Optimal Visibility	-4.3	60.3°	329°	Libra	06:10	13:28	20:44	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	0.0°	290°	Leo	04:22	09:26	14:29	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-38.0°	138°	Pisces	18:24	00:20	06:21	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-8.2°	287°	Cancer	04:03	08:51	13:40	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	65.7°	13°	Libra	07:20	14:52	22:24	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-60.3°	223°	Taurus	23:18	03:56	08:29	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-32.6°	131°	Pisces	17:47	23:51	05:58	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

RISES17:50

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

RISES04:22

BEST TIME09:26N · 31° high

SETS14:29

Reaches about 31° 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 · 44° high

SETS06:21

Reaches about 44° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:10

BEST TIME13:28N · 63° high

SETS20:44

Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · Good height

RISES04:03

BEST TIME08:51N · 27° high

SETS13:40

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

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.