OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

26.25°N, 91.53°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-68.0° (< −18°)

00:17:13

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 4m of true darkness · 12h 39m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset16:49

Civil Dusk17:12

Nautical17:39

Full Dark18:06

Nadir23:08

Dark Ends04:10

Nautical04:37

Civil Dawn05:04

Sunrise05:27

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE38.0°

DISTANCE379,798 km

Moonrise14:52

Moonset03:19

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX57% · Moderate Lunar Glow

Milky Way contrast is softened. Bright open clusters and double stars are optimal.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

72/100

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	-70.4°	69°	Libra	05:33	10:58	16:28	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-1.9°	73°	Leo	00:26	06:57	13:31	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	47.9°	240°	Pisces	15:51	21:55	04:00	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	6.4°	73°	Cancer	23:44	06:23	13:04	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-84.3°	339°	Libra	07:05	12:27	17:45	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	73.1°	105°	Taurus	18:41	01:27	08:12	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	40.9°	244°	Pisces	15:25	21:26	03:26	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

RISES14:52

BEST TIME21:02S · 65° high

SETS03:19

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:26

BEST TIME06:57S · 78° high

SETS13:31

Reaches about 78° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES15:51

BEST TIME21:55S · 65° high

SETS04:00

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:33

BEST TIME10:58S · 46° high

SETS16:28

Reaches about 46° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES23:44

BEST TIME06:23S · 82° high

SETS13:04

Reaches about 82° 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.