OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

20.25°N, 74.44°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-80.1° (< −18°)

00:36:02

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

Sunset18:02

Civil Dusk18:25

Nautical18:51

Full Dark19:17

Nadir00:16

Dark Ends05:16

Nautical05:42

Civil Dawn06:07

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

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE51.1°

DISTANCE379,728 km

Moonrise16:02

Moonset04:28

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX72% · 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	-83.2°	71°	Libra	06:32	12:06	17:45	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-14.8°	68°	Leo	01:42	08:05	14:32	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	60.6°	233°	Pisces	17:00	23:04	05:07	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-5.8°	68°	Cancer	01:02	07:32	14:03	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-76.3°	265°	Libra	08:02	13:35	19:05	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	62.1°	83°	Taurus	20:01	02:35	09:09	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	53.7°	239°	Pisces	16:33	22:34	04:35	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

RISES16:02

BEST TIME22:13S · 71° high

SETS04:28

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:42

BEST TIME08:05S · 84° high

SETS14:32

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

RISES17:00

BEST TIME23:04S · 71° high

SETS05:07

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

RISES06:32

BEST TIME12:06S · 52° high

SETS17:45

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

RISES01:02

BEST TIME07:32S · 88° high

SETS14:03

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.