OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

20.56°N, 72.95°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-69.4° (< −18°)

23:05:46

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 59m of true darkness · 12h 28m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:08

Civil Dusk18:31

Nautical18:57

Full Dark19:22

Nadir00:22

Dark Ends05:22

Nautical05:48

Civil Dawn06:14

Sunrise06:36

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE68.0°

DISTANCE380,065 km

Moonrise16:08

Moonset04:35

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	-73.2°	276°	Libra	06:38	12:18	17:51	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-34.6°	54°	Leo	01:47	08:11	14:38	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	70.8°	177°	Pisces	17:06	23:09	05:13	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-25.9°	57°	Cancer	01:08	07:37	14:09	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-53.7°	262°	Libra	08:09	13:41	19:10	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	39.8°	79°	Taurus	20:06	02:41	09:15	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	68.1°	197°	Pisces	16:39	22:40	04:41	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

RISES16:08

BEST TIME22:19S · 71° high

SETS04:35

Reaches about 71° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:47

BEST TIME08:11S · 84° high

SETS14:38

Reaches about 84° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:06

BEST TIME23:09S · 71° high

SETS05:13

Reaches about 71° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:38

BEST TIME12:18S · 51° high

SETS17:51

Reaches about 51° 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 TIME07:37S · 87° high

SETS14:09

Reaches about 87° 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.