OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

23.43°N, 72.66°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-66.5° (< −18°)

22:59:08

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 2m of true darkness · 12h 33m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:07

Civil Dusk18:30

Nautical18:56

Full Dark19:22

Nadir00:23

Dark Ends05:24

Nautical05:51

Civil Dawn06:17

Sunrise06:40

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE66.2°

DISTANCE380,090 km

Moonrise16:09

Moonset04:37

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX85% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

62/100

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	-71.0°	283°	Libra	06:44	12:19	17:48	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-34.3°	51°	Leo	01:45	08:12	14:43	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	67.8°	172°	Pisces	17:07	23:11	05:14	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-25.7°	54°	Cancer	01:04	07:39	14:15	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-52.2°	266°	Libra	08:15	13:42	19:06	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	38.5°	81°	Taurus	20:02	02:42	09:22	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	65.8°	191°	Pisces	16:40	22:41	04:42	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

RISES16:09

BEST TIME22:20S · 68° high

SETS04:37

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:45

BEST TIME08:12S · 81° high

SETS14:43

Reaches about 81° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:07

BEST TIME23:11S · 68° high

SETS05:14

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:44

BEST TIME12:19S · 48° high

SETS17:48

Reaches about 48° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:04

BEST TIME07:39S · 84° high

SETS14:15

Reaches about 84° 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.