OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

24.00°N, 87.58°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-65.6° (< −18°)

21:56:25

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 2m of true darkness · 12h 34m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:06

Civil Dusk17:29

Nautical17:56

Full Dark18:22

Nadir23:24

Dark Ends04:25

Nautical04:51

Civil Dawn05:18

Sunrise05:41

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE65.5°

DISTANCE380,325 km

Moonrise15:08

Moonset03:35

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX84% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

62/100

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	-70.1°	284°	Libra	05:45	11:19	16:47	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-34.5°	50°	Leo	00:45	07:13	13:44	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	67.1°	170°	Pisces	16:07	22:11	04:15	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-25.9°	53°	Cancer	00:04	06:39	13:16	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-51.5°	266°	Libra	07:16	12:43	18:05	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	37.8°	81°	Taurus	19:01	01:42	08:23	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	65.4°	189°	Pisces	15:41	21:41	03:42	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

RISES15:08

BEST TIME21:18S · 67° high

SETS03:35

Reaches about 67° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:45

BEST TIME07:13S · 80° high

SETS13:44

Reaches about 80° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:07

BEST TIME22:11S · 67° high

SETS04:15

Reaches about 67° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:45

BEST TIME11:19S · 48° high

SETS16:47

Reaches about 48° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:04

BEST TIME06:39S · 84° high

SETS13:16

Reaches about 84° 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.