OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

33.32°N, 75.19°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-68.1° (< −18°)

00:19:16

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 12h 54m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:46

Civil Dusk18:12

Nautical18:41

Full Dark19:09

Nadir00:13

Dark Ends05:17

Nautical05:46

Civil Dawn06:15

Sunrise06:40

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE46.6°

DISTANCE379,790 km

Moonrise15:59

Moonset04:29

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX67% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

68/100

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	-74.3°	12°	Libra	06:50	12:03	17:21	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-12.1°	63°	Leo	01:21	08:02	14:46	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	53.2°	214°	Pisces	16:55	23:01	05:06	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-3.5°	65°	Cancer	00:37	07:29	14:22	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-69.7°	303°	Libra	08:25	13:32	18:36	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	58.1°	104°	Taurus	19:32	02:32	09:32	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	47.8°	223°	Pisces	16:30	22:31	04:31	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

RISES15:59

BEST TIME22:10S · 58° high

SETS04:29

Reaches about 58° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:21

BEST TIME08:02S · 71° high

SETS14:46

Reaches about 71° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:55

BEST TIME23:01S · 58° high

SETS05:06

Reaches about 58° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:50

BEST TIME12:03S · 39° high

SETS17:21

Reaches about 39° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:37

BEST TIME07:29S · 75° high

SETS14:22

Reaches about 75° 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.