OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

24.21°N, 84.87°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-75.4° (< −18°)

23:04:45

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 2m of true darkness · 12h 35m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:17

Civil Dusk17:40

Nautical18:07

Full Dark18:33

Nadir23:34

Dark Ends04:36

Nautical05:02

Civil Dawn05:29

Sunrise05:52

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE58.0°

DISTANCE380,069 km

Moonrise15:19

Moonset03:46

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX79% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

64/100

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	-81.7°	318°	Libra	05:56	11:30	16:58	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-23.5°	60°	Leo	00:55	07:23	13:55	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	65.0°	206°	Pisces	16:18	22:22	04:26	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-14.6°	62°	Cancer	00:14	06:50	13:27	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-64.8°	272°	Libra	07:28	12:54	18:16	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	50.9°	86°	Taurus	19:12	01:53	08:34	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	59.8°	218°	Pisces	15:51	21:52	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

RISES15:19

BEST TIME21:30S · 67° high

SETS03:46

Reaches about 67° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:55

BEST TIME07:23S · 80° high

SETS13:55

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

RISES16:18

BEST TIME22:22S · 67° high

SETS04:26

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

RISES05:56

BEST TIME11:30S · 48° high

SETS16:58

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

RISES00:14

BEST TIME06:50S · 84° high

SETS13:27

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.