OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

26.04°N, 80.58°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-63.9° (< −18°)

22:20:35

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 4m of true darkness · 12h 38m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:32

Civil Dusk17:56

Nautical18:23

Full Dark18:50

Nadir23:52

Dark Ends04:53

Nautical05:20

Civil Dawn05:47

Sunrise06:11

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE64.1°

DISTANCE380,234 km

Moonrise15:37

Moonset04:04

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX83% · 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	-68.7°	288°	Libra	06:16	11:47	17:12	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-33.8°	48°	Leo	01:10	07:41	14:15	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	65.0°	169°	Pisces	16:35	22:39	04:43	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-25.4°	52°	Cancer	00:29	07:07	13:47	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-50.7°	268°	Libra	07:48	13:11	18:30	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	37.3°	83°	Taurus	19:25	02:10	08:55	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	63.5°	186°	Pisces	16:09	22:09	04:10	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

RISES15:37

BEST TIME21:47S · 65° high

SETS04:04

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:10

BEST TIME07:41S · 78° high

SETS14:15

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

RISES16:35

BEST TIME22:39S · 65° high

SETS04:43

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

RISES06:16

BEST TIME11:47S · 46° high

SETS17:12

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

RISES00:29

BEST TIME07:07S · 82° high

SETS13:47

Reaches about 82° 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.