OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

27.02°N, 95.57°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-74.3° (< −18°)

23:01:36

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 4m of true darkness · 12h 40m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset16:32

Civil Dusk16:55

Nautical17:22

Full Dark17:49

Nadir22:52

Dark Ends03:54

Nautical04:21

Civil Dawn04:48

Sunrise05:12

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE49.1°

DISTANCE380,081 km

Moonrise14:36

Moonset03:02

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX70% · 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	-80.1°	24°	Libra	05:18	10:42	16:11	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-14.2°	65°	Leo	00:09	06:41	13:16	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	57.7°	221°	Pisces	15:35	21:39	03:44	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-5.3°	66°	Cancer	23:27	06:07	12:49	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-73.2°	288°	Libra	06:50	12:11	17:28	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	59.9°	94°	Taurus	18:24	01:10	07:57	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	51.6°	229°	Pisces	15:09	21:10	03:10	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

RISES14:36

BEST TIME20:46S · 64° high

SETS03:02

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:09

BEST TIME06:41S · 77° high

SETS13:16

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

RISES15:35

BEST TIME21:39S · 64° high

SETS03:44

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

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:18

BEST TIME10:42S · 45° high

SETS16:11

Reaches about 45° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES23:27

BEST TIME06:07S · 81° high

SETS12:49

Reaches about 81° 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.