OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

42.86°S, 73.56°WAmerica/Santiago

Daylight+58.6°

13:25:38

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM6h 51m of true darkness · 10h 21m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset20:27

Civil Dusk20:57

Nautical21:33

Full Dark22:12

Nadir01:38

Dark Ends05:03

Nautical05:42

Civil Dawn06:19

Sunrise06:48

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-42.2°

DISTANCE380,328 km

Moonrise17:53

Moonset05:21

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	65.1°	3°	Libra	06:19	13:31	20:43	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	11.3°	302°	Leo	04:22	09:29	14:37	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-46.2°	158°	Pisces	18:27	00:24	06:25	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	3.4°	298°	Cancer	04:02	08:55	13:48	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	61.0°	48°	Libra	07:30	14:56	22:21	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-51.2°	248°	Taurus	23:16	03:59	08:39	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-42.0°	149°	Pisces	17:51	23:54	06:02	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

RISES17:53

BEST TIME23:53N · 42° high

SETS05:21

Reaches about 42° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · Good height

RISES04:22

BEST TIME09:29N · 33° high

SETS14:37

Reaches about 33° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:27

BEST TIME00:24N · 46° high

SETS06:25

Reaches about 46° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:19

BEST TIME13:31N · 65° high

SETS20:43

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · Good height

RISES04:02

BEST TIME08:55N · 29° high

SETS13:48

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.