OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

26.49°N, 74.55°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-46.5° (< −18°)

21:23:31

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 4m of true darkness · 12h 39m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:56

Civil Dusk18:20

Nautical18:47

Full Dark19:14

Nadir00:16

Dark Ends05:18

Nautical05:45

Civil Dawn06:12

Sunrise06:35

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE62.0°

DISTANCE380,448 km

Moonrise16:02

Moonset04:30

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX81% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

63/100

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	-50.6°	274°	Libra	06:41	12:11	17:35	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-44.7°	27°	Leo	01:34	08:05	14:39	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	55.2°	132°	Pisces	16:59	23:03	05:07	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-37.7°	34°	Cancer	00:52	07:31	14:12	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-32.5°	261°	Libra	08:13	13:35	18:53	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	19.5°	76°	Taurus	19:49	02:34	09:24	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	58.2°	145°	Pisces	16:33	22:33	04:34	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

RISES16:02

BEST TIME22:12S · 65° high

SETS04:30

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:34

BEST TIME08:05S · 78° high

SETS14:39

Reaches about 78° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:59

BEST TIME23:03S · 65° high

SETS05:07

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:41

BEST TIME12:11S · 45° high

SETS17:35

Reaches about 45° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:52

BEST TIME07:31S · 81° high

SETS14:12

Reaches about 81° 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.