OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

32.14°N, 77.17°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-68.0° (< −18°)

23:33:44

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 7m of true darkness · 12h 51m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:40

Civil Dusk18:05

Nautical18:33

Full Dark19:02

Nadir00:05

Dark Ends05:09

Nautical05:37

Civil Dawn06:06

Sunrise06:31

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE52.7°

DISTANCE379,960 km

Moonrise15:51

Moonset04:21

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX74% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

66/100

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	-74.7°	337°	Libra	06:40	12:01	17:15	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-19.6°	57°	Leo	01:15	07:54	14:37	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	57.8°	199°	Pisces	16:47	22:53	04:58	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-11.1°	60°	Cancer	00:31	07:21	14:12	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-63.0°	288°	Libra	08:14	13:24	18:31	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	50.4°	96°	Taurus	19:26	02:24	09:21	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	53.5°	211°	Pisces	16:22	22:23	04:24	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

RISES15:51

BEST TIME22:01S · 59° high

SETS04:21

Reaches about 59° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:15

BEST TIME07:54S · 72° high

SETS14:37

Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:47

BEST TIME22:53S · 59° high

SETS04:58

Reaches about 59° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:40

BEST TIME12:01S · 40° high

SETS17:15

Reaches about 40° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:31

BEST TIME07:21S · 76° high

SETS14:12

Reaches about 76° 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.