OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

12.25°N, 79.42°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-50.7° (< −18°)

21:17:08

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 51m of true darkness · 12h 13m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:49

Civil Dusk18:11

Nautical18:36

Full Dark19:01

Nadir23:56

Dark Ends04:52

Nautical05:16

Civil Dawn05:41

Sunrise06:03

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE76.0°

DISTANCE380,472 km

Moonrise15:42

Moonset04:06

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX89% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

61/100

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	-52.5°	256°	Libra	06:01	11:52	17:37	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-55.0°	41°	Leo	01:31	07:45	14:03	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	65.8°	115°	Pisces	16:41	22:44	04:46	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-46.7°	46°	Cancer	00:54	07:12	13:32	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-32.3°	253°	Libra	07:29	13:15	18:58	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	18.5°	72°	Taurus	19:54	02:15	08:35	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	70.9°	131°	Pisces	16:13	22:14	04:15	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

RISES15:42

BEST TIME21:52S · 79° high

SETS04:06

Reaches about 79° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:31

BEST TIME07:45N · 88° high

SETS14:03

Reaches about 88° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:41

BEST TIME22:44S · 79° high

SETS04:46

Reaches about 79° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:01

BEST TIME11:52S · 60° high

SETS17:37

Reaches about 60° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:54

BEST TIME07:12N · 84° high

SETS13:32

Reaches about 84° 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.