OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

23.34°N, 85.31°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-61.6° (< −18°)

21:45:16

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 2m of true darkness · 12h 33m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:16

Civil Dusk17:39

Nautical18:06

Full Dark18:32

Nadir23:33

Dark Ends04:34

Nautical05:00

Civil Dawn05:26

Sunrise05:49

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE67.5°

DISTANCE380,367 km

Moonrise15:18

Moonset03:44

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX85% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

62/100

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	-65.6°	278°	Libra	05:53	11:28	16:57	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-38.4°	46°	Leo	00:55	07:22	13:52	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	66.4°	157°	Pisces	16:16	22:20	04:24	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-30.0°	50°	Cancer	00:14	06:48	13:24	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-46.8°	264°	Libra	07:24	12:52	18:16	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	33.2°	79°	Taurus	19:12	01:51	08:31	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	66.2°	176°	Pisces	15:50	21:50	03:51	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

RISES15:18

BEST TIME21:28S · 68° high

SETS03:44

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:55

BEST TIME07:22S · 81° high

SETS13:52

Reaches about 81° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:16

BEST TIME22:20S · 68° high

SETS04:24

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:53

BEST TIME11:28S · 49° high

SETS16:57

Reaches about 49° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:14

BEST TIME06:48S · 85° high

SETS13:24

Reaches about 85° 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.