OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

35.69°S, 71.41°WAmerica/Santiago

Daylight+63.9°

14:13:36

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM7h 40m of true darkness · 10h 43m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset20:08

Civil Dusk20:34

Nautical21:06

Full Dark21:39

Nadir01:29

Dark Ends05:19

Nautical05:52

Civil Dawn06:24

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-39.1°

DISTANCE380,148 km

Moonrise17:42

Moonset05:12

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	69.0°	324°	Libra	06:27	13:23	20:18	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	4.8°	291°	Leo	04:01	09:20	14:40	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-46.1°	135°	Pisces	18:18	00:15	06:17	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-3.4°	289°	Cancer	03:37	08:46	13:55	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	73.5°	29°	Libra	07:41	14:47	21:53	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-64.2°	241°	Taurus	22:48	03:51	08:49	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-40.1°	129°	Pisces	17:43	23:46	05:52	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

RISES17:42

BEST TIME23:44N · 49° high

SETS05:12

Reaches about 49° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · Good height

RISES04:01

BEST TIME09:20N · 40° high

SETS14:40

Reaches about 40° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:18

BEST TIME00:15N · 53° high

SETS06:17

Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:27

BEST TIME13:23N · 72° high

SETS20:18

Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · Good height

RISES03:37

BEST TIME08:46N · 36° high

SETS13:55

Reaches about 36° 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.