OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

19.02°N, 73.32°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-52.9° (< −18°)

21:50:57

Fri, Oct 23, 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

Sunset18:08

Civil Dusk18:30

Nautical18:56

Full Dark19:22

Nadir00:21

Dark Ends05:20

Nautical05:45

Civil Dawn06:11

Sunrise06:33

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE71.1°

DISTANCE380,345 km

Moonrise16:07

Moonset04:33

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX87% · 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	-55.8°	266°	Libra	06:35	12:16	17:51	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-48.3°	38°	Leo	01:48	08:10	14:35	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	64.1°	130°	Pisces	17:05	23:08	05:11	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-40.2°	44°	Cancer	01:08	07:36	14:05	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-36.3°	258°	Libra	08:05	13:40	19:11	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	22.6°	75°	Taurus	20:07	02:39	09:11	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	67.3°	147°	Pisces	16:37	22:38	04:39	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

RISES16:07

BEST TIME22:17S · 72° high

SETS04:33

Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:48

BEST TIME08:10S · 85° high

SETS14:35

Reaches about 85° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:05

BEST TIME23:08S · 72° high

SETS05:11

Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:35

BEST TIME12:16S · 53° high

SETS17:51

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

RISES01:08

BEST TIME07:36S · 89° high

SETS14:05

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.