OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

43.62°S, 71.80°WAmerica/Santiago

Daylight+56.5°

14:17:37

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM6h 45m of true darkness · 10h 19m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset20:21

Civil Dusk20:52

Nautical21:28

Full Dark22:08

Nadir01:31

Dark Ends04:53

Nautical05:33

Civil Dawn06:10

Sunrise06:40

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-34.3°

DISTANCE380,133 km

Moonrise17:46

Moonset05:14

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	62.0°	332°	Libra	06:10	13:24	20:38	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	1.6°	291°	Leo	04:16	09:22	14:28	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-39.9°	140°	Pisces	18:20	00:17	06:18	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-6.4°	288°	Cancer	03:56	08:48	13:39	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	66.4°	19°	Libra	07:21	14:49	22:17	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-60.0°	228°	Taurus	23:11	03:52	08:29	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-34.5°	133°	Pisces	17:44	23:47	05:55	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

RISES17:46

BEST TIME23:46N · 41° high

SETS05:14

Reaches about 41° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · Good height

RISES04:16

BEST TIME09:22N · 32° high

SETS14:28

Reaches about 32° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES18:20

BEST TIME00:17N · 45° high

SETS06:18

Reaches about 45° 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 TIME13:24N · 64° high

SETS20:38

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · Good height

RISES03:56

BEST TIME08:48N · 29° high

SETS13:39

Reaches about 29° 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.