OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

18.20°S, 69.56°WAmerica/Santiago

Daylight+73.2°

14:26:21

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 51m of true darkness · 11h 21m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:41

Civil Dusk20:04

Nautical20:30

Full Dark20:56

Nadir01:22

Dark Ends05:47

Nautical06:14

Civil Dawn06:40

Sunrise07:03

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-42.0°

DISTANCE380,100 km

Moonrise17:30

Moonset05:03

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	73.2°	268°	Libra	06:50	13:15	19:41	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	6.3°	287°	Leo	03:31	09:13	14:55	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-52.3°	113°	Pisces	18:08	00:08	06:12	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-2.1°	288°	Cancer	03:01	08:39	14:16	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	85.7°	130°	Libra	08:09	14:40	21:10	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-71.9°	282°	Taurus	22:06	03:43	09:16	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-44.8°	110°	Pisces	17:36	23:38	05:44	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

RISES17:30

BEST TIME23:37N · 67° high

SETS05:03

Reaches about 67° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES03:31

BEST TIME09:13N · 57° high

SETS14:55

Reaches about 57° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:08

BEST TIME00:08N · 70° high

SETS06:12

Reaches about 70° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:50

BEST TIME13:15N · 90° high

SETS19:41

Reaches about 90° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES03:01

BEST TIME08:39N · 54° high

SETS14:16

Reaches about 54° 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.