OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

22.58°N, 88.32°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-65.1° (< −18°)

21:48:20

Fri, Oct 23, 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

Sunset17:05

Civil Dusk17:28

Nautical17:54

Full Dark18:20

Nadir23:21

Dark Ends04:21

Nautical04:47

Civil Dawn05:14

Sunrise05:37

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE67.3°

DISTANCE380,355 km

Moonrise15:05

Moonset03:31

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	-69.2°	279°	Libra	05:40	11:16	16:46	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-36.3°	50°	Leo	00:44	07:10	13:39	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	68.3°	166°	Pisces	16:04	22:08	04:12	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-27.7°	53°	Cancer	00:03	06:36	13:11	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-50.2°	264°	Libra	07:11	12:40	18:05	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	36.4°	80°	Taurus	19:01	01:39	08:18	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	66.9°	186°	Pisces	15:38	21:38	03:39	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

RISES15:05

BEST TIME21:15S · 68° high

SETS03:31

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:44

BEST TIME07:10S · 82° high

SETS13:39

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

RISES16:04

BEST TIME22:08S · 69° high

SETS04:12

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

RISES05:40

BEST TIME11:16S · 49° high

SETS16:46

Reaches about 49° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:03

BEST TIME06:36S · 85° high

SETS13:11

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.