OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

16.50°N, 75.29°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-81.4° (< −18°)

00:41:58

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 56m of true darkness · 12h 21m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:02

Civil Dusk18:24

Nautical18:50

Full Dark19:15

Nadir00:13

Dark Ends05:10

Nautical05:36

Civil Dawn06:01

Sunrise06:23

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE50.4°

DISTANCE379,706 km

Moonrise15:58

Moonset04:24

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX72% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

67/100

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	-81.2°	101°	Libra	06:23	12:02	17:47	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-14.0°	70°	Leo	01:43	08:02	14:24	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	60.8°	241°	Pisces	16:57	23:00	05:03	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-5.1°	69°	Cancer	01:04	07:28	13:54	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-77.6°	247°	Libra	07:53	13:32	19:07	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	63.6°	76°	Taurus	20:04	02:31	08:59	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	53.5°	246°	Pisces	16:30	22:30	04:31	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

RISES15:58

BEST TIME22:09S · 75° high

SETS04:24

Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:43

BEST TIME08:02S · 88° high

SETS14:24

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

RISES16:57

BEST TIME23:00S · 75° high

SETS05:03

Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:23

BEST TIME12:02S · 56° high

SETS17:47

Reaches about 56° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:04

BEST TIME07:28N · 89° high

SETS13:54

Reaches about 89° 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.