OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

22.50°N, 73.47°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-79.0° (< −18°)

00:23:08

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 1m of true darkness · 12h 32m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:04

Civil Dusk18:27

Nautical18:53

Full Dark19:19

Nadir00:20

Dark Ends05:21

Nautical05:47

Civil Dawn06:13

Sunrise06:36

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE53.5°

DISTANCE379,776 km

Moonrise16:06

Moonset04:33

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX75% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

66/100

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	-84.8°	28°	Libra	06:39	12:10	17:46	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-17.5°	65°	Leo	01:43	08:09	14:38	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	62.1°	224°	Pisces	17:04	23:07	05:11	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-8.6°	66°	Cancer	01:03	07:35	14:10	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-72.4°	272°	Libra	08:10	13:39	19:04	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	58.4°	86°	Taurus	20:00	02:39	09:17	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	55.6°	232°	Pisces	16:37	22:38	04:38	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

RISES16:06

BEST TIME22:17S · 69° high

SETS04:33

Reaches about 69° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:43

BEST TIME08:09S · 82° high

SETS14:38

Reaches about 82° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:04

BEST TIME23:07S · 69° high

SETS05:11

Reaches about 69° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:39

BEST TIME12:10S · 50° high

SETS17:46

Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:03

BEST TIME07:35S · 85° high

SETS14:10

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.