OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

22.45°N, 71.98°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-79.0° (< −18°)

00:30:12

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

Sunset18:10

Civil Dusk18:33

Nautical18:59

Full Dark19:25

Nadir00:26

Dark Ends05:27

Nautical05:53

Civil Dawn06:19

Sunrise06:42

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE53.4°

DISTANCE379,750 km

Moonrise16:12

Moonset04:39

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX75% · 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	-84.8°	31°	Libra	06:45	12:15	17:52	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-17.3°	65°	Leo	01:49	08:15	14:44	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	61.9°	224°	Pisces	17:10	23:13	05:17	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-8.3°	66°	Cancer	01:09	07:41	14:16	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-72.7°	272°	Libra	08:16	13:45	19:10	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	58.6°	86°	Taurus	20:07	02:45	09:23	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	55.5°	232°	Pisces	16:43	22:44	04:44	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

RISES16:12

BEST TIME22:23S · 69° high

SETS04:39

Reaches about 69° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:49

BEST TIME08:15S · 82° high

SETS14:44

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

RISES17:10

BEST TIME23:13S · 69° high

SETS05:17

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

RISES06:45

BEST TIME12:15S · 50° high

SETS17:52

Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:09

BEST TIME07:41S · 85° high

SETS14:16

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.