OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

24.55°N, 92.62°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-76.0° (< −18°)

22:43:07

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 3m of true darkness · 12h 35m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset16:46

Civil Dusk17:09

Nautical17:36

Full Dark18:02

Nadir23:04

Dark Ends04:05

Nautical04:31

Civil Dawn04:58

Sunrise05:21

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE56.0°

DISTANCE380,150 km

Moonrise14:48

Moonset03:14

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	-82.6°	333°	Libra	05:26	10:59	16:26	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-21.4°	61°	Leo	00:24	06:53	13:25	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	63.7°	210°	Pisces	15:47	21:51	03:55	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-12.6°	63°	Cancer	23:43	06:19	12:57	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-66.9°	274°	Libra	06:57	12:23	17:44	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	53.1°	87°	Taurus	18:40	01:22	08:04	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	58.2°	221°	Pisces	15:21	21:21	03:22	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

RISES14:48

BEST TIME20:58S · 66° high

SETS03:14

Reaches about 66° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:24

BEST TIME06:53S · 80° high

SETS13:25

Reaches about 80° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES15:47

BEST TIME21:51S · 67° high

SETS03:55

Reaches about 67° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:26

BEST TIME10:59S · 47° high

SETS16:26

Reaches about 47° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES23:43

BEST TIME06:19S · 83° high

SETS12:57

Reaches about 83° 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.