OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

13.44°N, 79.55°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-85.2° (< −18°)

00:13:55

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 52m of true darkness · 12h 15m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:48

Civil Dusk18:10

Nautical18:35

Full Dark19:00

Nadir23:56

Dark Ends04:52

Nautical05:17

Civil Dawn05:42

Sunrise06:03

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE53.6°

DISTANCE379,810 km

Moonrise15:41

Moonset04:05

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX75% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

66/100

Good Stargazing

Fine observing conditions. Open star clusters and nebulae will exhibit crisp structure.

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	-82.4°	128°	Libra	06:02	11:45	17:34	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-17.6°	70°	Leo	01:29	07:45	14:04	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	64.6°	244°	Pisces	16:41	22:43	04:46	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-8.7°	69°	Cancer	00:51	07:11	13:33	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-73.8°	240°	Libra	07:31	13:15	18:55	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	60.1°	71°	Taurus	19:52	02:14	08:37	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	57.1°	247°	Pisces	16:12	22:13	04:14	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

RISES15:41

BEST TIME21:52S · 78° high

SETS04:05

Reaches about 78° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:29

BEST TIME07:45N · 89° high

SETS14:04

Reaches about 89° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:41

BEST TIME22:43S · 78° high

SETS04:46

Reaches about 78° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:02

BEST TIME11:45S · 59° high

SETS17:34

Reaches about 59° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:51

BEST TIME07:11N · 86° high

SETS13:33

Reaches about 86° 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.