OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

28.42°N, 79.38°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-49.3° (< −18°)

21:19:16

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

Sunset17:35

Civil Dusk17:59

Nautical18:26

Full Dark18:54

Nadir23:56

Dark Ends04:59

Nautical05:26

Civil Dawn05:54

Sunrise06:18

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE61.4°

DISTANCE380,464 km

Moonrise15:42

Moonset04:10

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	-53.7°	278°	Libra	06:25	11:52	17:13	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-41.4°	30°	Leo	01:12	07:45	14:22	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	56.2°	139°	Pisces	16:39	22:44	04:48	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-34.1°	37°	Cancer	00:29	07:12	13:56	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-36.1°	264°	Libra	07:58	13:15	18:30	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	23.2°	78°	Taurus	19:25	02:15	09:05	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	58.3°	153°	Pisces	16:13	22:14	04:15	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

RISES15:42

BEST TIME21:52S · 63° high

SETS04:10

Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:12

BEST TIME07:45S · 76° high

SETS14:22

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

RISES16:39

BEST TIME22:44S · 63° high

SETS04:48

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

RISES06:25

BEST TIME11:52S · 43° high

SETS17:13

Reaches about 43° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:29

BEST TIME07:12S · 79° high

SETS13:56

Reaches about 79° 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.