OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

22.23°N, 76.96°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-78.9° (< −18°)

23:55:08

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 1m of true darkness · 12h 31m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:51

Civil Dusk18:13

Nautical18:40

Full Dark19:06

Nadir00:06

Dark Ends05:06

Nautical05:33

Civil Dawn05:59

Sunrise06:22

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE56.2°

DISTANCE379,880 km

Moonrise15:52

Moonset04:18

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX77% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

65/100

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	-85.6°	347°	Libra	06:25	12:02	17:32	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-20.6°	64°	Leo	01:29	07:55	14:24	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	64.4°	218°	Pisces	16:50	22:53	04:57	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-11.6°	65°	Cancer	00:49	07:21	13:56	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-69.2°	269°	Libra	07:56	13:25	18:51	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	55.1°	85°	Taurus	19:47	02:25	09:02	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	58.3°	227°	Pisces	16:23	22:24	04:25	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

RISES15:52

BEST TIME22:02S · 69° high

SETS04:18

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:29

BEST TIME07:55S · 82° high

SETS14:24

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

RISES16:50

BEST TIME22:53S · 69° high

SETS04:57

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

RISES06:25

BEST TIME12:02S · 50° high

SETS17:32

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

RISES00:49

BEST TIME07:21S · 86° high

SETS13:56

Reaches about 86° 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.