OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

23.87°N, 86.15°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-61.3° (< −18°)

21:41:17

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 2m of true darkness · 12h 34m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:12

Civil Dusk17:35

Nautical18:02

Full Dark18:28

Nadir23:29

Dark Ends04:30

Nautical04:57

Civil Dawn05:23

Sunrise05:46

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE66.9°

DISTANCE380,382 km

Moonrise15:14

Moonset03:41

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	-65.4°	279°	Libra	05:51	11:25	16:53	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-38.1°	46°	Leo	00:51	07:18	13:49	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	65.9°	157°	Pisces	16:13	22:17	04:21	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-29.8°	50°	Cancer	00:10	06:45	13:22	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-46.7°	264°	Libra	07:22	12:48	18:11	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	33.1°	80°	Taurus	19:07	01:48	08:29	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	65.7°	176°	Pisces	15:46	21:47	03:48	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

RISES15:14

BEST TIME21:24S · 67° high

SETS03:41

Reaches about 67° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:51

BEST TIME07:18S · 81° high

SETS13:49

Reaches about 81° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:13

BEST TIME22:17S · 68° high

SETS04:21

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:51

BEST TIME11:25S · 48° high

SETS16:53

Reaches about 48° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:10

BEST TIME06:45S · 84° high

SETS13:22

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.