OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

18.52°N, 83.21°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-81.3° (< −18°)

00:03:08

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 58m of true darkness · 12h 24m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:29

Civil Dusk17:51

Nautical18:17

Full Dark18:42

Nadir23:41

Dark Ends04:40

Nautical05:05

Civil Dawn05:31

Sunrise05:53

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE51.0°

DISTANCE379,850 km

Moonrise15:26

Moonset03:52

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX72% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

67/100

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	-83.1°	87°	Libra	05:55	11:31	17:13	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-14.9°	69°	Leo	01:09	07:30	13:55	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	61.2°	236°	Pisces	16:25	22:29	04:32	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-6.0°	69°	Cancer	00:30	06:57	13:25	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-76.5°	257°	Libra	07:24	13:00	18:32	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	62.3°	80°	Taurus	19:29	02:00	08:31	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	54.1°	242°	Pisces	15:58	21:59	04:00	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

RISES15:26

BEST TIME21:37S · 73° high

SETS03:52

Reaches about 73° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:09

BEST TIME07:30S · 86° high

SETS13:55

Reaches about 86° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:25

BEST TIME22:29S · 73° high

SETS04:32

Reaches about 73° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:55

BEST TIME11:31S · 54° high

SETS17:13

Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:30

BEST TIME06:57S · 89° high

SETS13:25

Reaches about 89° 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.