OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

24.57°N, 94.29°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-68.0° (< −18°)

21:42:49

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 3m of true darkness · 12h 35m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset16:39

Civil Dusk17:02

Nautical17:29

Full Dark17:55

Nadir22:57

Dark Ends03:58

Nautical04:25

Civil Dawn04:51

Sunrise05:15

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE63.5°

DISTANCE380,376 km

Moonrise14:41

Moonset03:07

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	-72.8°	289°	Libra	05:19	10:53	16:20	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-31.7°	52°	Leo	00:17	06:46	13:18	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	66.8°	179°	Pisces	15:40	21:44	03:48	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-23.1°	55°	Cancer	23:36	06:12	12:50	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-54.6°	268°	Libra	06:51	12:16	17:38	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	40.9°	83°	Taurus	18:34	01:16	07:57	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	64.1°	196°	Pisces	15:14	21:15	03:15	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

RISES14:41

BEST TIME20:51S · 66° high

SETS03:07

Reaches about 66° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:17

BEST TIME06:46S · 80° high

SETS13:18

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

RISES15:40

BEST TIME21:44S · 67° high

SETS03:48

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

RISES05:19

BEST TIME10:53S · 47° high

SETS16:20

Reaches about 47° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES23:36

BEST TIME06:12S · 83° high

SETS12:50

Reaches about 83° 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.