OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

10.98°N, 76.91°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-59.7° (< −18°)

22:04:03

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 49m of true darkness · 12h 11m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:01

Civil Dusk18:22

Nautical18:47

Full Dark19:12

Nadir00:06

Dark Ends05:01

Nautical05:26

Civil Dawn05:50

Sunrise06:12

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE80.5°

DISTANCE380,296 km

Moonrise15:52

Moonset04:16

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX91% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

60/100

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	-60.9°	253°	Libra	06:09	12:02	17:48	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-49.3°	52°	Leo	01:42	07:55	14:12	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	74.3°	127°	Pisces	16:51	22:54	04:56	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-40.5°	54°	Cancer	01:05	07:22	13:40	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-40.6°	252°	Libra	07:37	13:25	19:10	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	26.7°	72°	Taurus	20:06	02:25	08:43	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	77.6°	156°	Pisces	16:23	22:24	04:25	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

RISES15:52

BEST TIME22:02S · 80° high

SETS04:16

Reaches about 80° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:42

BEST TIME07:55N · 87° high

SETS14:12

Reaches about 87° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:51

BEST TIME22:54S · 80° high

SETS04:56

Reaches about 80° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:09

BEST TIME12:02S · 61° high

SETS17:48

Reaches about 61° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:05

BEST TIME07:22N · 83° high

SETS13:40

Reaches about 83° 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.