OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

20.84°N, 84.33°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-74.0° (< −18°)

00:31:06

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 0m of true darkness · 12h 28m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:22

Civil Dusk17:45

Nautical18:11

Full Dark18:37

Nadir23:37

Dark Ends04:36

Nautical05:02

Civil Dawn05:28

Sunrise05:51

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE43.2°

DISTANCE379,746 km

Moonrise15:21

Moonset03:48

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX64% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

69/100

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	-75.1°	81°	Libra	05:53	11:26	17:05	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-6.9°	71°	Leo	01:02	07:26	13:53	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	53.5°	242°	Pisces	16:21	22:24	04:28	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	1.7°	71°	Cancer	00:22	06:52	13:24	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-84.5°	268°	Libra	07:24	12:56	18:24	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	70.2°	86°	Taurus	19:20	01:55	08:30	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	46.2°	246°	Pisces	15:54	21:54	03:55	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

RISES15:21

BEST TIME21:32S · 70° high

SETS03:48

Reaches about 70° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:02

BEST TIME07:26S · 84° high

SETS13:53

Reaches about 84° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:21

BEST TIME22:24S · 71° high

SETS04:28

Reaches about 71° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:53

BEST TIME11:26S · 51° high

SETS17:05

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

RISES00:22

BEST TIME06:52S · 87° high

SETS13:24

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.