OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

19.81°N, 84.79°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-55.2° (< −18°)

21:15:26

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 59m of true darkness · 12h 27m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:21

Civil Dusk17:44

Nautical18:10

Full Dark18:35

Nadir23:35

Dark Ends04:34

Nautical05:00

Civil Dawn05:26

Sunrise05:48

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE70.9°

DISTANCE380,479 km

Moonrise15:20

Moonset03:45

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX87% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

61/100

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	-58.3°	268°	Libra	05:50	11:31	17:05	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-46.1°	40°	Leo	01:01	07:24	13:50	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	65.3°	136°	Pisces	16:19	22:22	04:26	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-37.9°	45°	Cancer	00:21	06:50	13:21	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-38.9°	259°	Libra	07:20	12:54	18:24	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	25.1°	75°	Taurus	19:20	01:53	08:27	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	67.8°	154°	Pisces	15:52	21:53	03:53	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

RISES15:20

BEST TIME21:30S · 71° high

SETS03:45

Reaches about 71° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:01

BEST TIME07:24S · 85° high

SETS13:50

Reaches about 85° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:19

BEST TIME22:22S · 72° high

SETS04:26

Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:50

BEST TIME11:31S · 52° high

SETS17:05

Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:21

BEST TIME06:50S · 88° high

SETS13:21

Reaches about 88° 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.