OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

20.50°N, 86.25°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-78.1° (< −18°)

00:01:41

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 59m of true darkness · 12h 28m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:15

Civil Dusk17:37

Nautical18:03

Full Dark18:29

Nadir23:29

Dark Ends04:29

Nautical04:54

Civil Dawn05:20

Sunrise05:43

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE47.9°

DISTANCE379,856 km

Moonrise15:14

Moonset03:39

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	-80.2°	77°	Libra	05:45	11:19	16:58	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-11.9°	69°	Leo	00:54	07:18	13:45	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	58.0°	237°	Pisces	16:13	22:16	04:20	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-2.9°	69°	Cancer	00:15	06:44	13:16	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-79.3°	266°	Libra	07:16	12:48	18:17	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	65.1°	84°	Taurus	19:13	01:48	08:22	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	51.0°	242°	Pisces	15:46	21:47	03:48	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

RISES15:14

BEST TIME21:24S · 71° high

SETS03:39

Reaches about 71° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:54

BEST TIME07:18S · 84° high

SETS13:45

Reaches about 84° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:13

BEST TIME22:16S · 71° high

SETS04:20

Reaches about 71° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:45

BEST TIME11:19S · 52° high

SETS16:58

Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:15

BEST TIME06:44S · 87° high

SETS13:16

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.