OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

13.45°N, 79.11°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-77.2° (< −18°)

23:06:07

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 52m of true darkness · 12h 15m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:50

Civil Dusk18:11

Nautical18:36

Full Dark19:01

Nadir23:57

Dark Ends04:53

Nautical05:18

Civil Dawn05:43

Sunrise06:05

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE68.8°

DISTANCE380,064 km

Moonrise15:43

Moonset04:07

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX86% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

62/100

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	-78.3°	246°	Libra	06:04	11:53	17:36	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-33.2°	62°	Leo	01:31	07:46	14:05	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	76.9°	204°	Pisces	16:42	22:45	04:48	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-24.3°	63°	Cancer	00:53	07:13	13:34	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-58.0°	252°	Libra	07:32	13:17	18:57	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	44.0°	74°	Taurus	19:54	02:16	08:39	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	71.3°	223°	Pisces	16:14	22:15	04:16	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

RISES15:43

BEST TIME21:53S · 78° high

SETS04:07

Reaches about 78° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:31

BEST TIME07:46N · 89° high

SETS14:05

Reaches about 89° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:42

BEST TIME22:45S · 78° high

SETS04:48

Reaches about 78° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:04

BEST TIME11:53S · 58° high

SETS17:36

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

RISES00:53

BEST TIME07:13N · 86° high

SETS13:34

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.