OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

34.08°N, 74.05°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-65.6° (< −18°)

23:37:59

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 12h 56m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:50

Civil Dusk18:16

Nautical18:45

Full Dark19:14

Nadir00:18

Dark Ends05:22

Nautical05:51

Civil Dawn06:20

Sunrise06:46

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE52.2°

DISTANCE379,944 km

Moonrise16:04

Moonset04:34

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX73% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

66/100

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	-72.2°	333°	Libra	06:56	12:13	17:24	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-20.0°	55°	Leo	01:25	08:07	14:52	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	56.5°	195°	Pisces	17:00	23:05	05:11	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-11.6°	58°	Cancer	00:40	07:33	14:28	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-60.7°	289°	Libra	08:31	13:37	18:39	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	48.5°	96°	Taurus	19:34	02:36	09:38	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	52.6°	206°	Pisces	16:35	22:35	04:36	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

RISES16:04

BEST TIME22:14S · 57° high

SETS04:34

Reaches about 57° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:25

BEST TIME08:07S · 70° high

SETS14:52

Reaches about 70° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:00

BEST TIME23:05S · 57° high

SETS05:11

Reaches about 57° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:56

BEST TIME12:13S · 38° high

SETS17:24

Reaches about 38° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:40

BEST TIME07:33S · 74° high

SETS14:28

Reaches about 74° 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.