OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

19.17°N, 75.17°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-42.5° (< −18°)

20:59:46

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

Sunset18:00

Civil Dusk18:23

Nautical18:48

Full Dark19:14

Nadir00:13

Dark Ends05:12

Nautical05:38

Civil Dawn06:04

Sunrise06:26

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE65.2°

DISTANCE380,538 km

Moonrise15:59

Moonset04:25

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX84% · 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	-45.4°	264°	Libra	06:27	12:09	17:44	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-53.5°	23°	Leo	01:40	08:02	14:28	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	55.3°	117°	Pisces	16:57	23:01	05:04	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-46.5°	32°	Cancer	01:01	07:29	13:58	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-26.2°	256°	Libra	07:57	13:32	19:03	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	12.7°	72°	Taurus	20:00	02:32	09:08	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	60.2°	128°	Pisces	16:30	22:31	04:32	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

RISES15:59

BEST TIME22:10S · 72° high

SETS04:25

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:40

BEST TIME08:02S · 85° high

SETS14:28

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

RISES16:57

BEST TIME23:01S · 72° high

SETS05:04

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

RISES06:27

BEST TIME12:09S · 53° high

SETS17:44

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

RISES01:01

BEST TIME07:29S · 89° high

SETS13:58

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.