OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

22.67°N, 87.72°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-65.3° (< −18°)

21:51:31

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 1m of true darkness · 12h 32m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:07

Civil Dusk17:30

Nautical17:56

Full Dark18:22

Nadir23:23

Dark Ends04:24

Nautical04:50

Civil Dawn05:16

Sunrise05:39

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE67.1°

DISTANCE380,343 km

Moonrise15:08

Moonset03:34

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX85% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

62/100

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	-69.4°	279°	Libra	05:43	11:19	16:49	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-36.1°	50°	Leo	00:46	07:12	13:42	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	68.2°	167°	Pisces	16:07	22:11	04:14	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-27.5°	53°	Cancer	00:05	06:38	13:13	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-50.4°	264°	Libra	07:14	12:42	18:07	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	36.6°	80°	Taurus	19:03	01:42	08:20	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	66.8°	186°	Pisces	15:40	21:41	03:42	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

RISES15:08

BEST TIME21:18S · 68° high

SETS03:34

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:46

BEST TIME07:12S · 82° high

SETS13:42

Reaches about 82° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:07

BEST TIME22:11S · 69° high

SETS04:14

Reaches about 69° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:43

BEST TIME11:19S · 49° high

SETS16:49

Reaches about 49° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:05

BEST TIME06:38S · 85° high

SETS13:13

Reaches about 85° 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.