OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

22.89°N, 88.02°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-72.4° (< −18°)

00:18:12

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 1m of true darkness · 12h 32m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:06

Civil Dusk17:29

Nautical17:55

Full Dark18:21

Nadir23:22

Dark Ends04:23

Nautical04:49

Civil Dawn05:15

Sunrise05:38

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE42.0°

DISTANCE379,794 km

Moonrise15:06

Moonset03:33

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX62% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

70/100

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	-74.3°	75°	Libra	05:42	11:12	16:47	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-5.8°	71°	Leo	00:44	07:11	13:41	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	52.1°	240°	Pisces	16:06	22:09	04:13	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	2.7°	72°	Cancer	00:04	06:37	13:13	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-84.6°	290°	Libra	07:13	12:41	18:06	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	70.7°	92°	Taurus	19:02	01:41	08:19	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	45.0°	244°	Pisces	15:39	21:40	03:40	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

RISES15:06

BEST TIME21:17S · 68° high

SETS03:33

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:44

BEST TIME07:11S · 82° high

SETS13:41

Reaches about 82° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:06

BEST TIME22:09S · 69° high

SETS04:13

Reaches about 69° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:42

BEST TIME11:12S · 49° high

SETS16:47

Reaches about 49° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:04

BEST TIME06:37S · 85° high

SETS13:13

Reaches about 85° 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.