OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

36.74°S, 73.00°WAmerica/Santiago

Daylight+49.1°

15:59:50

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM7h 34m of true darkness · 10h 40m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset20:16

Civil Dusk20:43

Nautical21:15

Full Dark21:49

Nadir01:35

Dark Ends05:22

Nautical05:56

Civil Dawn06:28

Sunrise06:55

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-21.1°

DISTANCE379,751 km

Moonrise17:49

Moonset05:18

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	51.9°	289°	Libra	06:31	13:29	20:26	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-14.6°	277°	Leo	04:09	09:27	14:45	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-28.6°	112°	Pisces	18:24	00:22	06:23	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-23.4°	275°	Cancer	03:43	08:52	13:59	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	68.7°	313°	Libra	07:45	14:53	22:02	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-74.1°	176°	Taurus	22:57	03:53	08:53	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-21.7°	108°	Pisces	17:49	23:52	05:59	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

RISES17:49

BEST TIME23:51N · 48° high

SETS05:18

Reaches about 48° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · Good height

RISES04:09

BEST TIME09:27N · 39° high

SETS14:45

Reaches about 39° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:24

BEST TIME00:22N · 52° high

SETS06:23

Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:31

BEST TIME13:29N · 71° high

SETS20:26

Reaches about 71° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · Good height

RISES03:43

BEST TIME08:52N · 35° high

SETS13:59

Reaches about 35° 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.