OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

15.26°N, 74.11°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-86.0° (< −18°)

00:23:42

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 54m of true darkness · 12h 19m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:08

Civil Dusk18:30

Nautical18:55

Full Dark19:20

Nadir00:17

Dark Ends05:15

Nautical05:40

Civil Dawn06:05

Sunrise06:27

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE56.0°

DISTANCE379,774 km

Moonrise16:03

Moonset04:29

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX77% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

65/100

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	-85.8°	131°	Libra	06:26	12:07	17:54	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-19.7°	68°	Leo	01:49	08:06	14:27	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	66.2°	236°	Pisces	17:02	23:05	05:08	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-10.7°	68°	Cancer	01:11	07:33	13:57	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-71.9°	249°	Libra	07:55	13:36	19:14	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	57.9°	75°	Taurus	20:11	02:36	09:01	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	59.0°	242°	Pisces	16:34	22:35	04:36	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

RISES16:03

BEST TIME22:14S · 76° high

SETS04:29

Reaches about 76° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:49

BEST TIME08:06S · 89° high

SETS14:27

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

RISES17:02

BEST TIME23:05S · 76° high

SETS05:08

Reaches about 76° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:26

BEST TIME12:07S · 57° high

SETS17:54

Reaches about 57° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:11

BEST TIME07:33N · 87° high

SETS13:57

Reaches about 87° 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.