OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

21.33°N, 71.03°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-77.3° (< −18°)

23:56:56

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 0m of true darkness · 12h 29m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:15

Civil Dusk18:38

Nautical19:04

Full Dark19:30

Nadir00:30

Dark Ends05:30

Nautical05:56

Civil Dawn06:22

Sunrise06:45

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE60.9°

DISTANCE379,874 km

Moonrise16:16

Moonset04:43

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX81% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

63/100

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	-83.0°	298°	Libra	06:47	12:25	17:57	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-25.5°	61°	Leo	01:54	08:19	14:47	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	67.9°	207°	Pisces	17:14	23:17	05:21	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-16.6°	62°	Cancer	01:14	07:45	14:18	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-64.0°	266°	Libra	08:18	13:49	19:16	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	49.9°	82°	Taurus	20:12	02:48	09:24	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	62.5°	220°	Pisces	16:47	22:47	04:48	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

RISES16:16

BEST TIME22:27S · 70° high

SETS04:43

Reaches about 70° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:54

BEST TIME08:19S · 83° high

SETS14:47

Reaches about 83° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:14

BEST TIME23:17S · 70° high

SETS05:21

Reaches about 70° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:47

BEST TIME12:25S · 51° high

SETS17:57

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:14

BEST TIME07:45S · 87° high

SETS14:18

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.