OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

28.58°N, 78.57°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-72.9° (< −18°)

23:58:42

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 5m of true darkness · 12h 44m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:38

Civil Dusk18:02

Nautical18:30

Full Dark18:57

Nadir00:00

Dark Ends05:02

Nautical05:30

Civil Dawn05:57

Sunrise06:21

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE50.6°

DISTANCE379,867 km

Moonrise15:45

Moonset04:14

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	-79.2°	8°	Libra	06:28	11:49	17:16	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-15.6°	63°	Leo	01:15	07:49	14:26	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	57.9°	215°	Pisces	16:42	22:47	04:52	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-6.9°	65°	Cancer	00:32	07:15	14:00	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-70.4°	289°	Libra	08:01	13:19	18:33	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	57.4°	95°	Taurus	19:28	02:18	09:08	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	52.3°	224°	Pisces	16:17	22:17	04:18	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

RISES15:45

BEST TIME21:56S · 63° high

SETS04:14

Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:15

BEST TIME07:49S · 76° high

SETS14:26

Reaches about 76° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:42

BEST TIME22:47S · 63° high

SETS04:52

Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:28

BEST TIME11:49S · 44° high

SETS17:16

Reaches about 44° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:32

BEST TIME07:15S · 79° high

SETS14:00

Reaches about 79° 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.