OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

12.82°N, 76.06°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-82.0° (< −18°)

23:37:43

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 51m of true darkness · 12h 14m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:02

Civil Dusk18:24

Nautical18:49

Full Dark19:14

Nadir00:10

Dark Ends05:05

Nautical05:30

Civil Dawn05:55

Sunrise06:17

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE65.2°

DISTANCE379,945 km

Moonrise15:55

Moonset04:20

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX84% · 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	-82.0°	229°	Libra	06:15	12:05	17:49	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-29.2°	65°	Leo	01:44	07:59	14:17	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	74.8°	222°	Pisces	16:55	22:57	05:00	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-20.3°	65°	Cancer	01:06	07:25	13:46	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-62.3°	249°	Libra	07:43	13:29	19:10	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	48.3°	73°	Taurus	20:07	02:28	08:50	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	68.2°	234°	Pisces	16:26	22:27	04:28	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

RISES15:55

BEST TIME22:06S · 79° high

SETS04:20

Reaches about 79° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:44

BEST TIME07:59N · 88° high

SETS14:17

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

RISES16:55

BEST TIME22:57S · 79° high

SETS05:00

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

RISES06:15

BEST TIME12:05S · 59° high

SETS17:49

Reaches about 59° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:06

BEST TIME07:25N · 85° high

SETS13:46

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.