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Live Sky Report

What Can I See in the Sky Tonight in Punitaqui, Coquimbo Region, Chile?

Waxing Gibbous moon at 64%, Saturn shines at magnitude 0.3. Calculated for -30.83°, -71.26° (America/Santiago).

Moon
Waxing Gibbous
64% lit
Sunset
7:59 PM
Dusk 9:24 PM
Dark hours
8.2 h
Dawn 5:35 AM
Aurora
Needs Kp 9+
Belt 58°

Visible planets tonight

Saturn, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury — brightest: Saturn at mag 0.3 in Cetus

🔭 Tonight's Sky Report

📍 Punitaqui, Coquimbo Region, Chile — Tuesday, October 20

⭐ StargazingWeather telemetry updating
🌙 MoonWaxing Gibbous • 64% Illumination
🪐 Visible planetsMercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn
🌠 Meteor activityOrionids in 1 day
🌌 Milky WayMuted by moonlight tonight
🛰️ ISSChecking ISS orbital track…
🌈 AuroraUnlikely — Quiet (Kp 0.7)
☁️ Cloud coverWeather telemetry updating
🌡️ TemperatureWeather telemetry updating

Space weather observed: 9:00 PM UTC

Tonight's sky above Punitaqui, Coquimbo Region, Chile

Whether tonight is a good night for stargazing from Punitaqui, Coquimbo Region, Chile comes down to four real things: the Moon phase, cloud cover, which planets are up, and the current Kp index.

Local sky character in Punitaqui

Southern mid-latitudes · southern hemisphere · 217 m elevation

  • The south celestial pole stands 30.8° above the horizon, so stars within 31° of it never set from here.
  • About 75.6% of the whole sky rises above the horizon at some point in the year from this latitude.
  • The Milky Way's core in Sagittarius culminates about 88.2° up, passing almost directly overhead.
  • The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds are circumpolar here — visible on any clear, dark night of the year.
  • At 217 m elevation, roughly 3% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.
Pole altitude
30.8°
Sky reachable
75.6%
Milky Way core
88.2° max
Aurora australis
Kp 9+

Punitaqui is small enough that local light domes are limited — on a clear, moonless night the Milky Way is realistically within reach.

Loading live sky conditions…

Astronomy near Punitaqui

Real great-circle distances from Punitaqui, Coquimbo Region, Chile.

  • Gabriela Mistral Dark Sky Sanctuary — dark-sky place, 81 km away, 1500 m
  • Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory — observatory, 86 km away, 2200 m
  • Elqui Valley Dark Sky Sanctuary — dark-sky place, 114 km away, 1100 m

Best nights this month in Punitaqui

Calculated for these coordinates and today's date — not a fixed list.

  • 2026-10-21 — Orionids peak — up to 20/hour

    Radiant in Orion. Visible from both hemispheres. The Moon is 72% lit on peak night, so lunar interference is moderate.

  • 2026-10-26 — Full Moon

    A 100%-lit Moon washes out faint objects, but lunar terrain along the limb is at its most striking — plan bright targets and planets instead of deep sky.

  • 2026-11-09 — Darkest night of the coming month

    The Moon is only 0% illuminated, giving the least lunar interference in the next 30 nights — the best window for the Milky Way and faint deep-sky targets from Punitaqui, Coquimbo Region, Chile.

  • 2026-11-17 — Leonids peak — up to 15/hour

    Radiant in Leo. Visible from both hemispheres. The Moon is 45% lit on peak night, so lunar interference is moderate.

Punitaqui, Coquimbo Region, Chile stargazing questions

What can I see in the sky tonight from Punitaqui, Coquimbo Region, Chile?
Tonight from Punitaqui, Coquimbo Region, Chile expect a waxing gibbous Moon at 64% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Saturn, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury. The night offers about 8.2 hours of true astronomical darkness.
What planets are visible tonight in Punitaqui, Coquimbo Region, Chile?
Tonight in Punitaqui, Coquimbo Region, Chile, Saturn, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury are visible to the naked eye after dark, based on this location's real ephemeris for tonight.
When does darkness start tonight in Punitaqui, Coquimbo Region, Chile?
Astronomical darkness begins at 9:24 PM local time in Punitaqui, Coquimbo Region, Chile tonight, the moment the Sun drops more than 18° below the horizon and the sky becomes fully dark for faint-object observing.
Can you see the aurora tonight in Punitaqui, Coquimbo Region, Chile?
Punitaqui, Coquimbo Region, Chile is far enough from the pole that aurora only reaches overhead during a major geomagnetic storm — specifically when the planetary Kp index reaches about 9, a level reached only a handful of times per solar cycle.
What is the stargazing light pollution level in Punitaqui, Coquimbo Region, Chile?
Punitaqui, Coquimbo Region, Chile is a small town — typically Bortle class 1–4 (rural to excellent dark sky), where the Milky Way is usually visible on clear, moonless nights away from local lighting. These are typical ranges for this population size, not a measured reading for this exact spot — use tonight's Moon phase and the best-nights list above to time a visit away from direct lighting.
Where is the nearest dark-sky site to Punitaqui, Coquimbo Region, Chile?
Gabriela Mistral Dark Sky Sanctuary lies about 81 km away; Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory lies about 86 km away; Elqui Valley Dark Sky Sanctuary lies about 114 km away. Distances are real great-circle distances from Punitaqui, Coquimbo Region, Chile's coordinates.
When is the best time to stargaze near Punitaqui, Coquimbo Region, Chile?
Combine two things this page computes: the astronomical darkness window (dusk to dawn), and the Moon. Nights within a few days of New Moon inside that window are the ones worth travelling for; the "best nights" section lists the next ones.
How dark does it actually get in Punitaqui, Coquimbo Region, Chile tonight?
About 8.2 hours of astronomical darkness (Sun more than 18° below the horizon). That is the real observing window for faint objects; brighter targets are workable from dusk onward.

Nearby cities

Real great-circle distance from Punitaqui, Coquimbo Region, Chile.

More in Coquimbo Region

Other sky reports in the same region.

Sky tonight across Chile

Other cities in Chile with live sky reports.

Popular astronomy destinations

Aurora hubs, dark-sky sites, and observatory towns.

☄️ Orionids peaks in 1 day

Up to 20 meteors/hour at peak, radiating from Orion.

Full viewing guide →

Related astronomy for Punitaqui, Coquimbo Region, Chile

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this just astronomy weather for Punitaqui?

This page goes beyond ordinary astronomy weather -- it combines real local weather for astronomy, live space weather, and the space weather aurora connection into one live report for Punitaqui, Coquimbo Region, Chile.

What are tonight's astronomy viewing conditions for Punitaqui?

The sky viewing conditions badge above reflects the real astronomy viewing conditions for Punitaqui, Coquimbo Region, Chile right now -- cloud cover, darkness, and moon interference combined, not moon phase alone. Good weather for stargazing depends on all of these together.