OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

28.17°N, 94.80°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-68.4° (< −18°)

23:53:16

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 5m of true darkness · 12h 43m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset16:34

Civil Dusk16:57

Nautical17:25

Full Dark17:52

Nadir22:55

Dark Ends03:57

Nautical04:25

Civil Dawn04:52

Sunrise05:16

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE39.4°

DISTANCE379,887 km

Moonrise14:39

Moonset03:06

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX59% · Moderate Lunar Glow

Milky Way contrast is softened. Bright open clusters and double stars are optimal.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

71/100

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	-71.7°	59°	Libra	05:23	10:45	16:12	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-3.7°	71°	Leo	00:10	06:44	13:21	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	48.9°	235°	Pisces	15:38	21:42	03:47	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	4.7°	72°	Cancer	23:28	06:10	12:54	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-81.5°	328°	Libra	06:56	12:14	17:29	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	70.3°	107°	Taurus	18:24	01:14	08:03	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	42.1°	240°	Pisces	15:12	21:13	03:13	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

RISES14:39

BEST TIME20:49S · 63° high

SETS03:06

Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:10

BEST TIME06:44S · 76° high

SETS13:21

Reaches about 76° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES15:38

BEST TIME21:42S · 63° high

SETS03:47

Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES05:23

BEST TIME10:45S · 44° high

SETS16:12

Reaches about 44° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES23:28

BEST TIME06:10S · 80° high

SETS12:54

Reaches about 80° 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.