OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

17.79°N, 76.47°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-57.1° (< −18°)

21:55:46

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 57m of true darkness · 12h 23m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:57

Civil Dusk18:19

Nautical18:44

Full Dark19:10

Nadir00:08

Dark Ends05:06

Nautical05:32

Civil Dawn05:57

Sunrise06:20

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE73.4°

DISTANCE380,327 km

Moonrise15:54

Moonset04:19

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	-59.9°	265°	Libra	06:20	12:04	17:41	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-46.5°	44°	Leo	01:37	07:57	14:21	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	67.9°	136°	Pisces	16:52	22:55	04:59	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-38.1°	48°	Cancer	00:58	07:23	13:51	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-40.1°	257°	Libra	07:50	13:27	19:01	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	26.3°	75°	Taurus	19:57	02:27	08:56	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	70.3°	157°	Pisces	16:25	22:26	04:27	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

RISES15:54

BEST TIME22:04S · 74° high

SETS04:19

Reaches about 74° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:37

BEST TIME07:57S · 87° high

SETS14:21

Reaches about 87° 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 · 74° high

SETS04:59

Reaches about 74° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:20

BEST TIME12:04S · 54° high

SETS17:41

Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:58

BEST TIME07:23N · 90° high

SETS13:51

Reaches about 90° 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.