OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

27.37°S, 70.33°WAmerica/Santiago

Daylight+57.8°

15:25:20

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 19m of true darkness · 11h 3m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:53

Civil Dusk20:18

Nautical20:46

Full Dark21:15

Nadir01:25

Dark Ends05:35

Nautical06:04

Civil Dawn06:32

Sunrise06:56

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-27.8°

DISTANCE379,880 km

Moonrise17:35

Moonset05:07

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	59.3°	281°	Libra	06:38	13:18	19:58	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-8.0°	282°	Leo	03:45	09:16	14:48	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-36.8°	111°	Pisces	18:12	00:11	06:14	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-17.0°	281°	Cancer	03:16	08:42	14:06	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	78.5°	302°	Libra	07:55	14:43	21:30	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-82.2°	216°	Taurus	22:26	03:46	09:02	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-29.5°	108°	Pisces	17:39	23:41	05:48	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

RISES17:35

BEST TIME23:40N · 58° high

SETS05:07

Reaches about 58° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES03:45

BEST TIME09:16N · 48° high

SETS14:48

Reaches about 48° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:12

BEST TIME00:11N · 61° high

SETS06:14

Reaches about 61° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:38

BEST TIME13:18N · 81° high

SETS19:58

Reaches about 81° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · Good height

RISES03:16

BEST TIME08:42N · 45° high

SETS14:06

Reaches about 45° 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.