OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

27.61°N, 79.28°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-61.1° (< −18°)

22:15:42

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 5m of true darkness · 12h 42m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:36

Civil Dusk18:00

Nautical18:27

Full Dark18:54

Nadir23:57

Dark Ends04:59

Nautical05:26

Civil Dawn05:54

Sunrise06:18

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE63.1°

DISTANCE380,252 km

Moonrise15:42

Moonset04:10

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX82% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

63/100

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	-66.1°	289°	Libra	06:24	11:52	17:14	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-34.3°	45°	Leo	01:13	07:46	14:22	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	62.9°	164°	Pisces	16:40	22:44	04:49	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-26.1°	49°	Cancer	00:31	07:12	13:55	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-48.5°	269°	Libra	07:56	13:16	18:32	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	35.2°	83°	Taurus	19:28	02:15	09:03	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	62.0°	180°	Pisces	16:14	22:15	04:15	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

RISES15:42

BEST TIME21:53S · 64° high

SETS04:10

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:13

BEST TIME07:46S · 77° high

SETS14:22

Reaches about 77° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:40

BEST TIME22:44S · 64° high

SETS04:49

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:24

BEST TIME11:52S · 44° high

SETS17:14

Reaches about 44° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:31

BEST TIME07:12S · 80° high

SETS13:55

Reaches about 80° 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.