OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

25.22°N, 87.16°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-71.1° (< −18°)

00:20:06

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 3m of true darkness · 12h 37m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:07

Civil Dusk17:30

Nautical17:57

Full Dark18:24

Nadir23:25

Dark Ends04:27

Nautical04:54

Civil Dawn05:20

Sunrise05:44

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE41.5°

DISTANCE379,787 km

Moonrise15:10

Moonset03:37

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX62% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

70/100

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	-73.8°	66°	Libra	05:49	11:15	16:47	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-5.4°	71°	Leo	00:45	07:14	13:47	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	51.2°	237°	Pisces	16:09	22:13	04:17	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	3.1°	72°	Cancer	00:04	06:41	13:20	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-83.1°	308°	Libra	07:20	12:44	18:05	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	70.1°	98°	Taurus	19:01	01:44	08:27	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	44.3°	242°	Pisces	15:42	21:43	03:44	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

RISES15:10

BEST TIME21:20S · 66° high

SETS03:37

Reaches about 66° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:45

BEST TIME07:14S · 79° high

SETS13:47

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

RISES16:09

BEST TIME22:13S · 66° high

SETS04:17

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

RISES05:49

BEST TIME11:15S · 47° high

SETS16:47

Reaches about 47° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:04

BEST TIME06:41S · 83° high

SETS13:20

Reaches about 83° 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.