OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

35.96°S, 71.68°WAmerica/Santiago

Daylight+54.2°

15:27:09

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM7h 38m of true darkness · 10h 42m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset20:09

Civil Dusk20:36

Nautical21:08

Full Dark21:41

Nadir01:30

Dark Ends05:19

Nautical05:53

Civil Dawn06:25

Sunrise06:51

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-26.3°

DISTANCE379,873 km

Moonrise17:43

Moonset05:13

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	57.4°	295°	Libra	06:28	13:24	20:19	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-9.0°	281°	Leo	04:02	09:22	14:41	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-33.9°	117°	Pisces	18:19	00:16	06:18	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-17.8°	279°	Cancer	03:39	08:47	13:56	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	72.8°	328°	Libra	07:42	14:48	21:55	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-74.1°	200°	Taurus	22:50	03:52	08:49	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-27.2°	113°	Pisces	17:44	23:47	05:54	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

RISES17:43

BEST TIME23:46N · 49° high

SETS05:13

Reaches about 49° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · Good height

RISES04:02

BEST TIME09:22N · 40° high

SETS14:41

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

RISES18:19

BEST TIME00:16N · 53° high

SETS06:18

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

RISES06:28

BEST TIME13:24N · 72° high

SETS20:19

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

MarsNaked Eye · Good height

RISES03:39

BEST TIME08:47N · 36° high

SETS13:56

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.