OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

18.92°N, 77.50°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-81.1° (< −18°)

00:24:36

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 58m of true darkness · 12h 25m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:51

Civil Dusk18:14

Nautical18:39

Full Dark19:05

Nadir00:04

Dark Ends05:03

Nautical05:28

Civil Dawn05:54

Sunrise06:16

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE51.4°

DISTANCE379,770 km

Moonrise15:49

Moonset04:15

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX73% · 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	-83.3°	83°	Libra	06:18	11:54	17:35	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-15.1°	68°	Leo	01:31	07:53	14:18	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	61.3°	235°	Pisces	16:48	22:51	04:55	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-6.1°	68°	Cancer	00:52	07:19	13:49	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-76.3°	259°	Libra	07:48	13:23	18:55	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	62.1°	81°	Taurus	19:51	02:23	08:54	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	54.2°	241°	Pisces	16:21	22:22	04:22	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

RISES15:49

BEST TIME22:00S · 72° high

SETS04:15

Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:31

BEST TIME07:53S · 86° high

SETS14:18

Reaches about 86° 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 TIME22:51S · 73° high

SETS04:55

Reaches about 73° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:18

BEST TIME11:54S · 53° high

SETS17:35

Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:52

BEST TIME07:19S · 89° high

SETS13:49

Reaches about 89° 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.