OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

25.55°N, 82.32°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-74.9° (< −18°)

23:21:59

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 3m of true darkness · 12h 37m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:26

Civil Dusk17:49

Nautical18:16

Full Dark18:43

Nadir23:45

Dark Ends04:46

Nautical05:13

Civil Dawn05:40

Sunrise06:03

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE56.1°

DISTANCE380,004 km

Moonrise15:30

Moonset03:57

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	-81.5°	333°	Libra	06:09	11:40	17:06	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-21.4°	61°	Leo	01:04	07:34	14:07	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	63.1°	208°	Pisces	16:28	22:32	04:36	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-12.6°	63°	Cancer	00:22	07:00	13:40	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-66.3°	276°	Libra	07:40	13:04	18:24	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	52.6°	88°	Taurus	19:19	02:03	08:47	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	57.8°	219°	Pisces	16:02	22:02	04:03	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

RISES15:30

BEST TIME21:40S · 66° high

SETS03:57

Reaches about 66° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:04

BEST TIME07:34S · 79° high

SETS14:07

Reaches about 79° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:28

BEST TIME22:32S · 66° high

SETS04:36

Reaches about 66° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:09

BEST TIME11:40S · 46° high

SETS17:06

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

RISES00:22

BEST TIME07:00S · 82° high

SETS13:40

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.