OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

26.47°N, 90.42°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-67.7° (< −18°)

00:22:12

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 4m of true darkness · 12h 39m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset16:53

Civil Dusk17:16

Nautical17:43

Full Dark18:10

Nadir23:12

Dark Ends04:14

Nautical04:41

Civil Dawn05:08

Sunrise05:32

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE37.9°

DISTANCE379,779 km

Moonrise14:57

Moonset03:24

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX57% · Moderate Lunar Glow

Milky Way contrast is softened. Bright open clusters and double stars are optimal.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

72/100

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	-70.2°	68°	Libra	05:38	11:02	16:32	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-1.8°	73°	Leo	00:30	07:01	13:36	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	47.6°	240°	Pisces	15:56	22:00	04:04	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	6.6°	73°	Cancer	23:49	06:28	13:09	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-84.1°	341°	Libra	07:10	12:31	17:49	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	73.2°	105°	Taurus	18:45	01:31	08:17	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	40.7°	244°	Pisces	15:29	21:30	03:31	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

RISES14:57

BEST TIME21:07S · 64° high

SETS03:24

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:30

BEST TIME07:01S · 78° high

SETS13:36

Reaches about 78° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES15:56

BEST TIME22:00S · 65° high

SETS04:04

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:38

BEST TIME11:02S · 46° high

SETS16:32

Reaches about 46° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES23:49

BEST TIME06:28S · 81° high

SETS13:09

Reaches about 81° 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.