OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

14.08°N, 79.58°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-57.8° (< −18°)

21:45:12

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 53m of true darkness · 12h 17m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:47

Civil Dusk18:09

Nautical18:34

Full Dark18:59

Nadir23:56

Dark Ends04:52

Nautical05:17

Civil Dawn05:42

Sunrise06:04

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE77.1°

DISTANCE380,367 km

Moonrise15:41

Moonset04:06

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX90% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

60/100

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	-59.8°	258°	Libra	06:03	11:51	17:33	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-48.8°	47°	Leo	01:28	07:45	14:04	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	70.8°	130°	Pisces	16:40	22:43	04:46	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-40.2°	51°	Cancer	00:50	07:11	13:33	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-39.6°	254°	Libra	07:31	13:15	18:54	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	25.7°	73°	Taurus	19:51	02:14	08:38	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	73.9°	153°	Pisces	16:12	22:13	04:14	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

RISES15:41

BEST TIME21:51S · 77° high

SETS04:06

Reaches about 77° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:28

BEST TIME07:45N · 90° high

SETS14:04

Reaches about 90° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:40

BEST TIME22:43S · 77° high

SETS04:46

Reaches about 77° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:03

BEST TIME11:51S · 58° high

SETS17:33

Reaches about 58° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:50

BEST TIME07:11N · 86° high

SETS13:33

Reaches about 86° 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.