OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

13.09°N, 80.28°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-79.2° (< −18°)

00:36:40

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 52m of true darkness · 12h 15m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:45

Civil Dusk18:07

Nautical18:32

Full Dark18:57

Nadir23:53

Dark Ends04:49

Nautical05:14

Civil Dawn05:39

Sunrise06:00

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE47.8°

DISTANCE379,725 km

Moonrise15:38

Moonset04:02

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX69% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

68/100

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	-76.7°	113°	Libra	05:59	11:42	17:32	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-11.8°	72°	Leo	01:27	07:42	14:00	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	59.0°	250°	Pisces	16:38	22:40	04:43	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-2.9°	71°	Cancer	00:49	07:08	13:29	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-78.6°	225°	Libra	07:27	13:12	18:53	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	65.9°	68°	Taurus	19:50	02:11	08:33	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	51.4°	252°	Pisces	16:10	22:11	04:11	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

RISES15:38

BEST TIME21:49S · 78° high

SETS04:02

Reaches about 78° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:27

BEST TIME07:42N · 89° high

SETS14:00

Reaches about 89° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:38

BEST TIME22:40S · 78° high

SETS04:43

Reaches about 78° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:59

BEST TIME11:42S · 59° high

SETS17:32

Reaches about 59° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:49

BEST TIME07:08N · 85° high

SETS13:29

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.