OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

26.92°N, 76.82°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-68.5° (< −18°)

23:03:39

Fri, Oct 23, 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

Sunset17:47

Civil Dusk18:10

Nautical18:37

Full Dark19:04

Nadir00:07

Dark Ends05:09

Nautical05:36

Civil Dawn06:03

Sunrise06:27

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE60.8°

DISTANCE380,073 km

Moonrise15:52

Moonset04:20

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX81% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

63/100

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	-74.1°	302°	Libra	06:33	12:02	17:25	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-28.3°	53°	Leo	01:24	07:56	14:31	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	64.4°	185°	Pisces	16:50	22:54	04:58	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-19.7°	56°	Cancer	00:42	07:22	14:04	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-57.1°	273°	Libra	08:05	13:26	18:43	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	43.6°	86°	Taurus	19:39	02:25	09:12	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	61.1°	200°	Pisces	16:24	22:24	04:25	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

RISES15:52

BEST TIME22:03S · 64° high

SETS04:20

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:24

BEST TIME07:56S · 78° high

SETS14:31

Reaches about 78° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:50

BEST TIME22:54S · 65° high

SETS04:58

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:33

BEST TIME12:02S · 45° high

SETS17:25

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

RISES00:42

BEST TIME07:22S · 81° high

SETS14:04

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.