OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

20.18°N, 85.62°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-73.2° (< −18°)

00:31:36

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 59m of true darkness · 12h 27m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:18

Civil Dusk17:40

Nautical18:06

Full Dark18:32

Nadir23:31

Dark Ends04:31

Nautical04:57

Civil Dawn05:23

Sunrise05:45

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE42.1°

DISTANCE379,744 km

Moonrise15:16

Moonset03:42

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX62% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

70/100

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	-73.9°	85°	Libra	05:47	11:21	17:01	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-5.8°	72°	Leo	00:57	07:20	13:47	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	52.6°	244°	Pisces	16:16	22:19	04:22	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	2.7°	72°	Cancer	00:18	06:47	13:18	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-85.7°	259°	Libra	07:18	12:51	18:20	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	71.5°	84°	Taurus	19:16	01:50	08:24	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	45.3°	248°	Pisces	15:48	21:49	03:50	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

RISES15:16

BEST TIME21:27S · 71° high

SETS03:42

Reaches about 71° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:57

BEST TIME07:20S · 84° high

SETS13:47

Reaches about 84° 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 TIME22:19S · 71° high

SETS04:22

Reaches about 71° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:47

BEST TIME11:21S · 52° high

SETS17:01

Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:18

BEST TIME06:47S · 88° high

SETS13:18

Reaches about 88° 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.