OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

23.43°N, 85.32°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-73.6° (< −18°)

00:20:10

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 2m of true darkness · 12h 33m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:16

Civil Dusk17:39

Nautical18:05

Full Dark18:32

Nadir23:33

Dark Ends04:34

Nautical05:00

Civil Dawn05:26

Sunrise05:49

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE43.8°

DISTANCE379,787 km

Moonrise15:17

Moonset03:44

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX64% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

69/100

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	-76.0°	69°	Libra	05:53	11:22	16:57	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-7.6°	70°	Leo	00:54	07:22	13:52	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	53.6°	237°	Pisces	16:16	22:20	04:24	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	1.1°	71°	Cancer	00:14	06:48	13:24	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-82.5°	288°	Libra	07:24	12:52	18:15	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	68.6°	92°	Taurus	19:12	01:51	08:31	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	46.6°	242°	Pisces	15:50	21:50	03:51	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

RISES15:17

BEST TIME21:28S · 68° high

SETS03:44

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:54

BEST TIME07:22S · 81° high

SETS13:52

Reaches about 81° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:16

BEST TIME22:20S · 68° high

SETS04:24

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:53

BEST TIME11:22S · 49° high

SETS16:57

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

RISES00:14

BEST TIME06:48S · 84° high

SETS13:24

Reaches about 84° 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.