OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

16.49°N, 75.05°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-53.5° (< −18°)

21:45:46

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 56m of true darkness · 12h 21m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:03

Civil Dusk18:25

Nautical18:51

Full Dark19:16

Nadir00:14

Dark Ends05:11

Nautical05:37

Civil Dawn06:02

Sunrise06:24

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE73.6°

DISTANCE380,365 km

Moonrise15:59

Moonset04:25

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX89% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

61/100

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	-56.0°	262°	Libra	06:24	12:09	17:48	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-50.0°	40°	Leo	01:44	08:03	14:25	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	66.0°	127°	Pisces	16:58	23:01	05:04	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-41.8°	46°	Cancer	01:05	07:29	13:55	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-36.1°	256°	Libra	07:53	13:33	19:08	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	22.3°	74°	Taurus	20:05	02:32	09:00	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	69.6°	145°	Pisces	16:31	22:31	04:32	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

RISES15:59

BEST TIME22:10S · 75° high

SETS04:25

Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:44

BEST TIME08:03S · 88° high

SETS14:25

Reaches about 88° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:58

BEST TIME23:01S · 75° high

SETS05:04

Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:24

BEST TIME12:09S · 55° high

SETS17:48

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

RISES01:05

BEST TIME07:29N · 89° high

SETS13:55

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.