OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

7.03°N, 93.79°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-85.0° (< −18°)

23:07:18

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 44m of true darkness · 12h 5m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset16:56

Civil Dusk17:18

Nautical17:42

Full Dark18:07

Nadir22:59

Dark Ends03:51

Nautical04:15

Civil Dawn04:40

Sunrise05:01

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE56.7°

DISTANCE380,059 km

Moonrise14:42

Moonset03:05

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX77% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

65/100

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	-78.4°	162°	Libra	04:57	10:49	16:46	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-22.1°	71°	Leo	00:39	06:48	13:00	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	69.1°	255°	Pisces	15:44	21:46	03:48	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-13.2°	70°	Cancer	00:03	06:14	12:27	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-68.0°	229°	Libra	06:24	12:18	18:09	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	55.4°	63°	Taurus	19:05	01:18	07:30	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	61.5°	256°	Pisces	15:16	21:17	03:18	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

RISES14:42

BEST TIME20:53S · 84° high

SETS03:05

Reaches about 84° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:39

BEST TIME06:48N · 83° high

SETS13:00

Reaches about 83° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES15:44

BEST TIME21:46S · 84° high

SETS03:48

Reaches about 84° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES04:57

BEST TIME10:49S · 65° high

SETS16:46

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:03

BEST TIME06:14N · 79° high

SETS12:27

Reaches about 79° 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.