OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

22.48°N, 71.68°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-48.4° (< −18°)

21:40:04

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 1m of true darkness · 12h 32m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:11

Civil Dusk18:34

Nautical19:00

Full Dark19:27

Nadir00:27

Dark Ends05:28

Nautical05:54

Civil Dawn06:20

Sunrise06:43

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE66.2°

DISTANCE380,386 km

Moonrise16:13

Moonset04:40

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX84% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

62/100

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	-51.9°	269°	Libra	06:46	12:23	17:53	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-47.7°	30°	Leo	01:50	08:16	14:46	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	58.7°	129°	Pisces	17:11	23:15	05:18	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-40.3°	38°	Cancer	01:10	07:43	14:17	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-33.0°	259°	Libra	08:17	13:46	19:12	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	19.6°	75°	Taurus	20:08	02:46	09:24	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	62.1°	143°	Pisces	16:44	22:45	04:46	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

RISES16:13

BEST TIME22:24S · 69° high

SETS04:40

Reaches about 69° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:50

BEST TIME08:16S · 82° high

SETS14:46

Reaches about 82° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:11

BEST TIME23:15S · 69° high

SETS05:18

Reaches about 69° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:46

BEST TIME12:23S · 49° high

SETS17:53

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

RISES01:10

BEST TIME07:43S · 85° high

SETS14:17

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.