OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

16.16°N, 76.52°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-85.3° (< −18°)

00:04:22

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 55m of true darkness · 12h 20m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:58

Civil Dusk18:20

Nautical18:45

Full Dark19:10

Nadir00:08

Dark Ends05:05

Nautical05:31

Civil Dawn05:56

Sunrise06:18

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE57.7°

DISTANCE379,846 km

Moonrise15:53

Moonset04:19

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX78% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

64/100

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	-88.0°	156°	Libra	06:18	11:57	17:43	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-21.5°	67°	Leo	01:38	07:57	14:19	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	67.5°	231°	Pisces	16:52	22:55	04:58	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-12.5°	67°	Cancer	01:00	07:23	13:49	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-70.0°	253°	Libra	07:47	13:27	19:03	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	55.9°	76°	Taurus	19:59	02:26	08:53	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	60.6°	238°	Pisces	16:25	22:26	04:26	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

RISES15:53

BEST TIME22:04S · 75° high

SETS04:19

Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:38

BEST TIME07:57S · 88° high

SETS14:19

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

RISES16:52

BEST TIME22:55S · 75° high

SETS04:58

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

RISES06:18

BEST TIME11:57S · 56° high

SETS17:43

Reaches about 56° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:00

BEST TIME07:23N · 88° high

SETS13:49

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.