OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

31.15°N, 76.97°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-70.2° (< −18°)

23:56:55

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 7m of true darkness · 12h 49m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:42

Civil Dusk18:06

Nautical18:35

Full Dark19:03

Nadir00:06

Dark Ends05:09

Nautical05:38

Civil Dawn06:06

Sunrise06:31

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE50.3°

DISTANCE379,874 km

Moonrise15:52

Moonset04:21

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX71% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

67/100

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	-76.7°	358°	Libra	06:39	12:02	17:18	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-16.0°	61°	Leo	01:17	07:55	14:36	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	56.7°	210°	Pisces	16:48	22:53	04:58	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-7.3°	63°	Cancer	00:34	07:21	14:11	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-67.8°	292°	Libra	08:13	13:25	18:34	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	55.3°	98°	Taurus	19:29	02:25	09:20	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	51.5°	219°	Pisces	16:23	22:24	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

RISES15:52

BEST TIME22:02S · 60° high

SETS04:21

Reaches about 60° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:17

BEST TIME07:55S · 73° high

SETS14:36

Reaches about 73° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:48

BEST TIME22:53S · 60° high

SETS04:58

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

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:39

BEST TIME12:02S · 41° high

SETS17:18

Reaches about 41° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:34

BEST TIME07:21S · 77° high

SETS14:11

Reaches about 77° 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.