OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

25.89°N, 78.33°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-73.5° (< −18°)

23:27:03

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 4m of true darkness · 12h 38m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:42

Civil Dusk18:05

Nautical18:32

Full Dark18:59

Nadir00:01

Dark Ends05:02

Nautical05:29

Civil Dawn05:56

Sunrise06:20

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE57.7°

DISTANCE379,985 km

Moonrise15:46

Moonset04:14

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX78% · 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	-79.9°	321°	Libra	06:25	11:56	17:21	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-23.4°	59°	Leo	01:19	07:50	14:23	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	63.8°	202°	Pisces	16:44	22:48	04:52	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-14.6°	61°	Cancer	00:38	07:16	13:56	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-63.8°	275°	Libra	07:57	13:20	18:39	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	50.2°	88°	Taurus	19:35	02:19	09:04	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	59.0°	215°	Pisces	16:18	22:18	04:19	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

RISES15:46

BEST TIME21:57S · 65° high

SETS04:14

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:19

BEST TIME07:50S · 79° high

SETS14:23

Reaches about 79° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:44

BEST TIME22:48S · 66° high

SETS04:52

Reaches about 66° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:25

BEST TIME11:56S · 46° high

SETS17:21

Reaches about 46° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:38

BEST TIME07:16S · 82° high

SETS13:56

Reaches about 82° 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.