OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

12.86°N, 79.03°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-81.4° (< −18°)

00:32:43

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 51m of true darkness · 12h 14m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:51

Civil Dusk18:12

Nautical18:37

Full Dark19:02

Nadir23:58

Dark Ends04:53

Nautical05:18

Civil Dawn05:43

Sunrise06:05

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE49.9°

DISTANCE379,740 km

Moonrise15:43

Moonset04:07

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX71% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

67/100

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	-78.6°	118°	Libra	06:03	11:47	17:37	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-13.9°	71°	Leo	01:32	07:47	14:05	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	61.1°	249°	Pisces	16:43	22:45	04:48	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-5.0°	70°	Cancer	00:54	07:13	13:34	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-76.8°	230°	Libra	07:32	13:17	18:58	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	63.8°	68°	Taurus	19:55	02:16	08:38	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	53.5°	251°	Pisces	16:15	22:15	04:16	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

RISES15:43

BEST TIME21:54S · 79° high

SETS04:07

Reaches about 79° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:32

BEST TIME07:47N · 89° high

SETS14:05

Reaches about 89° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:43

BEST TIME22:45S · 79° high

SETS04:48

Reaches about 79° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:03

BEST TIME11:47S · 59° high

SETS17:37

Reaches about 59° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:54

BEST TIME07:13N · 85° high

SETS13:34

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.