OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

27.29°N, 79.95°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-69.5° (< −18°)

22:59:38

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 5m of true darkness · 12h 41m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:34

Civil Dusk17:57

Nautical18:25

Full Dark18:52

Nadir23:54

Dark Ends04:56

Nautical05:24

Civil Dawn05:51

Sunrise06:15

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE59.4°

DISTANCE380,088 km

Moonrise15:39

Moonset04:07

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX80% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

64/100

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	-75.5°	308°	Libra	06:21	11:50	17:12	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-26.5°	55°	Leo	01:11	07:43	14:19	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	63.8°	190°	Pisces	16:37	22:42	04:46	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-17.9°	58°	Cancer	00:29	07:10	13:52	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-59.0°	275°	Libra	07:53	13:13	18:30	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	45.5°	87°	Taurus	19:25	02:13	09:00	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	60.1°	204°	Pisces	16:11	22:12	04:13	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

RISES15:39

BEST TIME21:50S · 64° high

SETS04:07

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:11

BEST TIME07:43S · 77° high

SETS14:19

Reaches about 77° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:37

BEST TIME22:42S · 64° high

SETS04:46

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:21

BEST TIME11:50S · 45° high

SETS17:12

Reaches about 45° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:29

BEST TIME07:10S · 81° high

SETS13:52

Reaches about 81° 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.