OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

35.43°S, 71.66°WAmerica/Santiago
Daylight+65.4°
13:04:30
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM7h 41m of true darkness · 10h 43m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset20:08
Civil Dusk20:35
Nautical21:07
Full Dark21:40
Nadir01:30
Dark Ends05:21
Nautical05:54
Civil Dawn06:25
Sunrise06:52
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
SunsetSunrise
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry
30° ALT60° ALTZENITHNESW Sirius Arcturus Spica Antares Venus (-4.3) Jupiter (-2.0) Mars (1.0) Mercury (0.4)
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE-49.4°
DISTANCE380,407 km
Moonrise17:43
Moonset05:13
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

PLANETSTATUSMAGNITUDEALTITUDEAZIMUTHCONSTELLATIONRISETRANSITSETEQUIPMENT
Venus♀ Optimal Visibility -4.372.0°15°Libra06:2913:2420:18Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Visible Low -2.017.5°303°Leo04:0109:2114:42Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Below Horizon 0.3-54.1°160°Pisces18:1800:1606:18Naked Eye
Mars♂ Rising / Setting 1.09.2°300°Cancer03:3808:4713:56Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Optimal Visibility 0.463.0°65°Libra07:4314:4821:53Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-50.7°260°Taurus22:4903:5208:50Binoculars
Neptune♆ Below Horizon 7.8-49.8°150°Pisces17:4423:4705:53Telescope
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
RISES17:43
BEST TIME23:46N · 50° high
SETS05:13
Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · Good height
RISES04:01
BEST TIME09:21N · 40° high
SETS14:42
Reaches about 40° 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 · 53° high
SETS06:18
Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES06:29
BEST TIME13:24N · 73° high
SETS20:18
Reaches about 73° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · Good height
RISES03:38
BEST TIME08:47N · 37° high
SETS13:56
Reaches about 37° 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

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.