OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

24.79°N, 81.15°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-52.4° (< −18°)

21:22:09

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 3m of true darkness · 12h 36m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:31

Civil Dusk17:55

Nautical18:21

Full Dark18:48

Nadir23:49

Dark Ends04:51

Nautical05:17

Civil Dawn05:44

Sunrise06:07

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE65.6°

DISTANCE380,453 km

Moonrise15:35

Moonset04:02

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX84% · 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	-56.4°	275°	Libra	06:12	11:45	17:12	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-43.3°	35°	Leo	01:09	07:38	14:11	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	60.4°	139°	Pisces	16:33	22:37	04:41	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-35.5°	41°	Cancer	00:28	07:05	13:43	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-37.9°	262°	Libra	07:44	13:08	18:30	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	24.6°	77°	Taurus	19:26	02:08	08:50	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	62.5°	155°	Pisces	16:06	22:07	04:08	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

RISES15:35

BEST TIME21:45S · 66° high

SETS04:02

Reaches about 66° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:09

BEST TIME07:38S · 80° high

SETS14:11

Reaches about 80° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:33

BEST TIME22:37S · 67° high

SETS04:41

Reaches about 67° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:12

BEST TIME11:45S · 47° high

SETS17:12

Reaches about 47° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:28

BEST TIME07:05S · 83° high

SETS13:43

Reaches about 83° 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.