OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

29.85°N, 80.52°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-70.5° (< −18°)

00:19:54

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 6m of true darkness · 12h 46m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:29

Civil Dusk17:53

Nautical18:21

Full Dark18:49

Nadir23:52

Dark Ends04:55

Nautical05:23

Civil Dawn05:51

Sunrise06:15

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE44.8°

DISTANCE379,788 km

Moonrise15:37

Moonset04:06

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX65% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

69/100

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	-75.6°	36°	Libra	06:23	11:41	17:06	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-9.3°	67°	Leo	01:05	07:41	14:20	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	52.9°	225°	Pisces	16:34	22:39	04:44	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-0.5°	69°	Cancer	00:22	07:07	13:54	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-75.5°	306°	Libra	07:56	13:11	18:22	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	63.4°	103°	Taurus	19:18	02:10	09:03	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	46.7°	232°	Pisces	16:09	22:10	04:10	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

RISES15:37

BEST TIME21:48S · 61° high

SETS04:06

Reaches about 61° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:05

BEST TIME07:41S · 75° high

SETS14:20

Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:34

BEST TIME22:39S · 62° high

SETS04:44

Reaches about 62° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:23

BEST TIME11:41S · 42° high

SETS17:06

Reaches about 42° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:22

BEST TIME07:07S · 78° high

SETS13:54

Reaches about 78° 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.