OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

18.98°N, 74.67°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-82.4° (< −18°)

00:21:51

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 58m of true darkness · 12h 25m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:03

Civil Dusk18:25

Nautical18:51

Full Dark19:16

Nadir00:15

Dark Ends05:14

Nautical05:40

Civil Dawn06:06

Sunrise06:28

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE54.4°

DISTANCE379,781 km

Moonrise16:01

Moonset04:27

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX76% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

65/100

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	-86.6°	73°	Libra	06:29	12:05	17:46	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-18.2°	67°	Leo	01:42	08:04	14:29	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	63.9°	230°	Pisces	16:59	23:03	05:06	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-9.2°	67°	Cancer	01:03	07:31	14:00	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-73.0°	260°	Libra	07:59	13:34	19:06	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	58.8°	81°	Taurus	20:02	02:34	09:06	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	57.0°	237°	Pisces	16:32	22:33	04:34	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

RISES16:01

BEST TIME22:12S · 72° high

SETS04:27

Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:42

BEST TIME08:04S · 85° high

SETS14:29

Reaches about 85° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:59

BEST TIME23:03S · 72° high

SETS05:06

Reaches about 72° 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 TIME12:05S · 53° high

SETS17:46

Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:03

BEST TIME07:31S · 89° high

SETS14:00

Reaches about 89° 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.