OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

29.19°N, 77.83°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-46.7° (< −18°)

21:14:25

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 6m of true darkness · 12h 45m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:40

Civil Dusk18:04

Nautical18:32

Full Dark19:00

Nadir00:03

Dark Ends05:05

Nautical05:33

Civil Dawn06:01

Sunrise06:25

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE59.9°

DISTANCE380,482 km

Moonrise15:48

Moonset04:17

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX80% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

64/100

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	-51.2°	278°	Libra	06:32	11:58	17:18	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-41.9°	27°	Leo	01:17	07:52	14:30	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	54.0°	136°	Pisces	16:45	22:50	04:55	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-34.9°	34°	Cancer	00:34	07:18	14:04	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-33.8°	263°	Libra	08:05	13:22	18:34	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	21.0°	77°	Taurus	19:30	02:21	09:16	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	56.4°	149°	Pisces	16:20	22:20	04:21	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

RISES15:48

BEST TIME21:59S · 62° high

SETS04:17

Reaches about 62° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:17

BEST TIME07:52S · 75° high

SETS14:30

Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:45

BEST TIME22:50S · 62° high

SETS04:55

Reaches about 62° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:32

BEST TIME11:58S · 43° high

SETS17:18

Reaches about 43° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:34

BEST TIME07:18S · 79° high

SETS14:04

Reaches about 79° 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.