OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

11.24°N, 77.11°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-86.3° (< −18°)

00:20:38

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 49m of true darkness · 12h 12m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:00

Civil Dusk18:21

Nautical18:46

Full Dark19:11

Nadir00:05

Dark Ends05:00

Nautical05:25

Civil Dawn05:50

Sunrise06:11

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE55.0°

DISTANCE379,785 km

Moonrise15:51

Moonset04:15

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	-81.3°	142°	Libra	06:09	11:55	17:47	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-19.1°	70°	Leo	01:41	07:54	14:11	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	66.2°	247°	Pisces	16:51	22:53	04:55	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-10.2°	69°	Cancer	01:04	07:21	13:39	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-72.0°	235°	Libra	07:37	13:25	19:09	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	58.7°	68°	Taurus	20:05	02:24	08:43	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	58.6°	250°	Pisces	16:22	22:23	04:24	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

RISES15:51

BEST TIME22:02S · 80° high

SETS04:15

Reaches about 80° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:41

BEST TIME07:54N · 87° high

SETS14:11

Reaches about 87° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:51

BEST TIME22:53S · 80° high

SETS04:55

Reaches about 80° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:09

BEST TIME11:55S · 61° high

SETS17:47

Reaches about 61° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:04

BEST TIME07:21N · 83° high

SETS13:39

Reaches about 83° 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.