OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

21.28°N, 82.83°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-57.6° (< −18°)

21:34:50

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 0m of true darkness · 12h 29m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:28

Civil Dusk17:51

Nautical18:17

Full Dark18:43

Nadir23:43

Dark Ends04:43

Nautical05:09

Civil Dawn05:35

Sunrise05:57

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE69.9°

DISTANCE380,406 km

Moonrise15:28

Moonset03:54

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX87% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

61/100

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	-61.0°	271°	Libra	06:00	11:38	17:10	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-43.2°	42°	Leo	01:07	07:32	14:00	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	65.9°	144°	Pisces	16:27	22:30	04:34	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-34.9°	47°	Cancer	00:27	06:58	13:31	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-41.8°	261°	Libra	07:31	13:02	18:29	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	28.1°	77°	Taurus	19:25	02:01	08:37	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	67.4°	163°	Pisces	16:00	22:00	04:01	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

RISES15:28

BEST TIME21:38S · 70° high

SETS03:54

Reaches about 70° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:07

BEST TIME07:32S · 83° high

SETS14:00

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

RISES16:27

BEST TIME22:30S · 70° high

SETS04:34

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

RISES06:00

BEST TIME11:38S · 51° high

SETS17:10

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:27

BEST TIME06:58S · 87° high

SETS13:31

Reaches about 87° 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.