OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

34.48°S, 71.48°WAmerica/Santiago

Daylight+65.0°

12:46:06

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM7h 46m of true darkness · 10h 46m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset20:06

Civil Dusk20:33

Nautical21:04

Full Dark21:36

Nadir01:29

Dark Ends05:23

Nautical05:55

Civil Dawn06:26

Sunrise06:52

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-52.2°

DISTANCE380,476 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	71.5°	29°	Libra	06:30	13:23	20:15	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	21.0°	306°	Leo	03:59	09:21	14:42	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-56.0°	167°	Pisces	18:18	00:16	06:18	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	12.7°	302°	Cancer	03:35	08:46	13:58	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	59.9°	71°	Libra	07:44	14:47	21:50	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-47.3°	264°	Taurus	22:46	03:51	08:52	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-52.3°	156°	Pisces	17:43	23:46	05:53	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 TIME23:45N · 51° high

SETS05:12

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · Good height

RISES03:59

BEST TIME09:21N · 41° high

SETS14:42

Reaches about 41° 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 TIME00:16N · 54° high

SETS06:18

Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:30

BEST TIME13:23N · 74° high

SETS20:15

Reaches about 74° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · Good height

RISES03:35

BEST TIME08:46N · 38° high

SETS13:58

Reaches about 38° 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.