OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

27.18°N, 78.02°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-74.2° (< −18°)

23:55:31

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 5m of true darkness · 12h 41m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:42

Civil Dusk18:05

Nautical18:33

Full Dark19:00

Nadir00:02

Dark Ends05:04

Nautical05:31

Civil Dawn05:59

Sunrise06:22

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE52.4°

DISTANCE379,879 km

Moonrise15:47

Moonset04:15

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX74% · Heavy Lunar Wash

Bright moonlight washes out deep sky targets. Focus on lunar craters and bright planets.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

66/100

Good Stargazing

Fine observing conditions. Open star clusters and nebulae will exhibit crisp structure.

CLOUD COVER15%

HUMIDITY50%

VISIBILITY18 km

DEW POINT10.8°C

PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

All times calibrated to Asia/Kolkata

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-80.7°	1°	Libra	06:28	11:58	17:20	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-17.4°	63°	Leo	01:19	07:51	14:26	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	59.8°	214°	Pisces	16:45	22:49	04:54	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-8.5°	64°	Cancer	00:37	07:17	14:00	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-69.6°	283°	Libra	08:01	13:21	18:38	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	56.3°	93°	Taurus	19:33	02:20	09:08	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	54.1°	224°	Pisces	16:19	22:20	04:20	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

RISES15:47

BEST TIME21:58S · 64° high

SETS04:15

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:19

BEST TIME07:51S · 77° high

SETS14:26

Reaches about 77° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:45

BEST TIME22:49S · 64° high

SETS04:54

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:28

BEST TIME11:58S · 45° high

SETS17:20

Reaches about 45° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:37

BEST TIME07:17S · 81° high

SETS14:00

Reaches about 81° 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.