OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

23.17°N, 81.43°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-77.6° (< −18°)

00:05:58

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 2m of true darkness · 12h 33m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:32

Civil Dusk17:55

Nautical18:21

Full Dark18:47

Nadir23:48

Dark Ends04:49

Nautical05:15

Civil Dawn05:42

Sunrise06:05

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE50.0°

DISTANCE379,840 km

Moonrise15:33

Moonset04:00

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX71% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

67/100

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	-82.2°	49°	Libra	06:08	11:38	17:13	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-14.1°	67°	Leo	01:10	07:37	14:07	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	59.2°	228°	Pisces	16:32	22:36	04:39	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-5.2°	68°	Cancer	00:30	07:04	13:39	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-75.8°	276°	Libra	07:40	13:07	18:31	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	61.8°	89°	Taurus	19:28	02:07	08:46	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	52.5°	235°	Pisces	16:05	22:06	04:07	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

RISES15:33

BEST TIME21:44S · 68° high

SETS04:00

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:10

BEST TIME07:37S · 81° high

SETS14:07

Reaches about 81° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:32

BEST TIME22:36S · 68° high

SETS04:39

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:08

BEST TIME11:38S · 49° high

SETS17:13

Reaches about 49° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:30

BEST TIME07:04S · 85° high

SETS13:39

Reaches about 85° 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.