OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

17.18°N, 77.29°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-74.4° (< −18°)

23:05:28

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 56m of true darkness · 12h 22m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:54

Civil Dusk18:16

Nautical18:41

Full Dark19:07

Nadir00:05

Dark Ends05:03

Nautical05:28

Civil Dawn05:54

Sunrise06:16

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE68.0°

DISTANCE380,066 km

Moonrise15:50

Moonset04:16

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX86% · 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	-77.3°	264°	Libra	06:16	12:00	17:38	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-33.1°	59°	Leo	01:34	07:54	14:17	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	73.9°	192°	Pisces	16:49	22:52	04:55	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-24.2°	60°	Cancer	00:55	07:20	13:47	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-57.1°	258°	Libra	07:46	13:24	18:58	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	43.0°	77°	Taurus	19:55	02:23	08:52	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	69.5°	212°	Pisces	16:22	22:22	04:23	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

RISES15:50

BEST TIME22:01S · 74° high

SETS04:16

Reaches about 74° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:34

BEST TIME07:54S · 87° high

SETS14:17

Reaches about 87° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:49

BEST TIME22:52S · 74° high

SETS04:55

Reaches about 74° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:16

BEST TIME12:00S · 55° high

SETS17:38

Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:55

BEST TIME07:20N · 89° high

SETS13:47

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.