OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

34.87°S, 71.16°WAmerica/Santiago
Daylight+66.6°
13:39:55
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM7h 44m of true darkness · 10h 45m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset20:06
Civil Dusk20:32
Nautical21:03
Full Dark21:36
Nadir01:28
Dark Ends05:20
Nautical05:53
Civil Dawn06:24
Sunrise06:51
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
SunsetSunrise
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry
30° ALT60° ALTZENITHNESW Arcturus Spica Antares Venus (-4.3) Jupiter (-2.0) Mars (1.0) Mercury (0.4)
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE-44.7°
DISTANCE380,274 km
Moonrise17:40
Moonset05:11
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 -4.372.7°346°Libra06:2813:2220:15Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Visible Low -2.011.1°296°Leo03:5909:1914:40Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Below Horizon 0.3-51.0°145°Pisces18:1600:1406:16Naked Eye
Mars♂ Rising / Setting 1.02.7°294°Cancer03:3508:4513:56Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Optimal Visibility 0.469.7°51°Libra07:4214:4621:50Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-58.4°252°Taurus22:4503:5008:50Binoculars
Neptune♆ Below Horizon 7.8-45.6°137°Pisces17:4223:4505:51Telescope
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
RISES17:40
BEST TIME23:43N · 50° high
SETS05:11
Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · Good height
RISES03:59
BEST TIME09:19N · 41° high
SETS14:40
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
RISES18:16
BEST TIME00:14N · 54° high
SETS06:16
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
RISES06:28
BEST TIME13:22N · 73° high
SETS20:15
Reaches about 73° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · Good height
RISES03:35
BEST TIME08:45N · 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.