OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

21.92°N, 78.13°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-76.1° (< −18°)

23:23:30

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 1m of true darkness · 12h 31m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:46

Civil Dusk18:09

Nautical18:35

Full Dark19:01

Nadir00:01

Dark Ends05:02

Nautical05:28

Civil Dawn05:54

Sunrise06:17

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE61.2°

DISTANCE379,999 km

Moonrise15:47

Moonset04:14

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX81% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

63/100

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

All times calibrated to Asia/Kolkata

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-81.6°	297°	Libra	06:20	11:57	17:28	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-26.3°	60°	Leo	01:25	07:50	14:19	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	67.9°	203°	Pisces	16:45	22:49	04:52	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-17.4°	61°	Cancer	00:45	07:17	13:51	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-62.8°	267°	Libra	07:50	13:20	18:47	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	48.8°	83°	Taurus	19:43	02:20	08:57	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	62.8°	217°	Pisces	16:18	22:19	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 TIME21:57S · 69° high

SETS04:14

Reaches about 69° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:25

BEST TIME07:50S · 83° high

SETS14:19

Reaches about 83° 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 · 70° high

SETS04:52

Reaches about 70° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:20

BEST TIME11:57S · 50° high

SETS17:28

Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:45

BEST TIME07:17S · 86° high

SETS13:51

Reaches about 86° 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.