OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

23.67°N, 86.43°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-64.2° (< −18°)

21:53:25

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 2m of true darkness · 12h 34m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:11

Civil Dusk17:34

Nautical18:01

Full Dark18:27

Nadir23:28

Dark Ends04:29

Nautical04:56

Civil Dawn05:22

Sunrise05:45

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE66.4°

DISTANCE380,336 km

Moonrise15:13

Moonset03:39

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX85% · 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	-68.5°	281°	Libra	05:49	11:24	16:52	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-36.0°	49°	Leo	00:50	07:17	13:48	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	67.1°	165°	Pisces	16:12	22:16	04:20	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-27.5°	52°	Cancer	00:09	06:44	13:20	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-49.7°	265°	Libra	07:20	12:47	18:11	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	36.1°	81°	Taurus	19:07	01:47	08:27	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	65.9°	184°	Pisces	15:45	21:46	03:47	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

RISES15:13

BEST TIME21:23S · 67° high

SETS03:39

Reaches about 67° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:50

BEST TIME07:17S · 81° high

SETS13:48

Reaches about 81° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:12

BEST TIME22:16S · 68° high

SETS04:20

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:49

BEST TIME11:24S · 48° high

SETS16:52

Reaches about 48° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:09

BEST TIME06:44S · 84° high

SETS13:20

Reaches about 84° 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.