OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

27.05°N, 79.65°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-73.4° (< −18°)

00:20:46

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 4m of true darkness · 12h 40m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:35

Civil Dusk17:59

Nautical18:26

Full Dark18:53

Nadir23:55

Dark Ends04:58

Nautical05:25

Civil Dawn05:52

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%

ALTITUDE46.8°

DISTANCE379,785 km

Moonrise15:41

Moonset04:09

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX68% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

68/100

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	-78.2°	41°	Libra	06:22	11:45	17:14	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-11.0°	67°	Leo	01:12	07:44	14:20	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	55.3°	227°	Pisces	16:38	22:43	04:47	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-2.1°	68°	Cancer	00:31	07:11	13:53	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-76.5°	294°	Libra	07:54	13:14	18:31	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	63.3°	97°	Taurus	19:27	02:14	09:01	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	48.9°	233°	Pisces	16:12	22:13	04:14	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

RISES15:41

BEST TIME21:51S · 64° high

SETS04:09

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:12

BEST TIME07:44S · 77° high

SETS14:20

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

RISES16:38

BEST TIME22:43S · 64° high

SETS04:47

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

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:22

BEST TIME11:45S · 45° high

SETS17:14

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

RISES00:31

BEST TIME07:11S · 81° high

SETS13:53

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.