OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

27.50°N, 81.00°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-72.8° (< −18°)

23:23:28

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 5m of true darkness · 12h 41m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:29

Civil Dusk17:53

Nautical18:20

Full Dark18:48

Nadir23:50

Dark Ends04:52

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

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE55.4°

DISTANCE379,999 km

Moonrise15:35

Moonset04:03

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX76% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

65/100

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	-79.4°	333°	Libra	06:17	11:46	17:08	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-21.2°	59°	Leo	01:06	07:39	14:15	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	61.7°	205°	Pisces	16:33	22:37	04:42	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-12.4°	62°	Cancer	00:24	07:05	13:48	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-65.2°	280°	Libra	07:49	13:09	18:25	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	51.8°	90°	Taurus	19:21	02:09	08:56	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	56.7°	216°	Pisces	16:07	22:08	04:08	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

RISES15:35

BEST TIME21:46S · 64° high

SETS04:03

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:06

BEST TIME07:39S · 77° high

SETS14:15

Reaches about 77° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:33

BEST TIME22:37S · 64° high

SETS04:42

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:17

BEST TIME11:46S · 44° high

SETS17:08

Reaches about 44° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:24

BEST TIME07:05S · 80° high

SETS13:48

Reaches about 80° 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.