OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

16.86°N, 73.55°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-50.2° (< −18°)

21:38:02

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 56m of true darkness · 12h 21m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:09

Civil Dusk18:31

Nautical18:56

Full Dark19:22

Nadir00:20

Dark Ends05:18

Nautical05:43

Civil Dawn06:08

Sunrise06:30

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE71.8°

DISTANCE380,394 km

Moonrise16:06

Moonset04:31

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX88% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

61/100

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	-52.7°	262°	Libra	06:31	12:15	17:54	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-51.7°	36°	Leo	01:49	08:09	14:31	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	63.1°	123°	Pisces	17:04	23:07	05:10	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-43.8°	42°	Cancer	01:11	07:35	14:01	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-33.0°	256°	Libra	08:00	13:39	19:14	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	19.3°	73°	Taurus	20:10	02:38	09:06	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	67.3°	138°	Pisces	16:36	22:37	04:38	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

RISES16:06

BEST TIME22:16S · 75° high

SETS04:31

Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:49

BEST TIME08:09S · 88° high

SETS14:31

Reaches about 88° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:04

BEST TIME23:07S · 75° high

SETS05:10

Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:31

BEST TIME12:15S · 55° high

SETS17:54

Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:11

BEST TIME07:35N · 89° high

SETS14:01

Reaches about 89° 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.