OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

28.75°N, 77.29°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-72.6° (< −18°)

00:13:45

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 5m of true darkness · 12h 44m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:43

Civil Dusk18:07

Nautical18:35

Full Dark19:02

Nadir00:05

Dark Ends05:08

Nautical05:35

Civil Dawn06:03

Sunrise06:27

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE48.9°

DISTANCE379,811 km

Moonrise15:50

Moonset04:19

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	-78.5°	20°	Libra	06:34	11:54	17:21	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-13.6°	64°	Leo	01:20	07:54	14:31	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	56.5°	219°	Pisces	16:48	22:52	04:57	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-4.8°	66°	Cancer	00:37	07:20	14:05	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-72.4°	293°	Libra	08:07	13:24	18:37	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	59.5°	97°	Taurus	19:33	02:23	09:14	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	50.6°	227°	Pisces	16:22	22:22	04:23	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

RISES15:50

BEST TIME22:01S · 62° high

SETS04:19

Reaches about 62° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:20

BEST TIME07:54S · 76° high

SETS14:31

Reaches about 76° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:48

BEST TIME22:52S · 63° high

SETS04:57

Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:34

BEST TIME11:54S · 44° high

SETS17:21

Reaches about 44° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:37

BEST TIME07:20S · 79° high

SETS14:05

Reaches about 79° 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.