OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

23.92°N, 78.00°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-74.8° (< −18°)

23:25:42

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 2m of true darkness · 12h 34m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:45

Civil Dusk18:08

Nautical18:34

Full Dark19:01

Nadir00:02

Dark Ends05:03

Nautical05:29

Civil Dawn05:56

Sunrise06:19

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE59.5°

DISTANCE379,990 km

Moonrise15:47

Moonset04:15

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX80% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

64/100

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	-80.9°	309°	Libra	06:23	11:58	17:25	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-24.9°	59°	Leo	01:23	07:51	14:22	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	65.9°	202°	Pisces	16:45	22:49	04:53	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-16.1°	61°	Cancer	00:42	07:17	13:54	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-63.3°	271°	Libra	07:55	13:21	18:44	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	49.4°	85°	Taurus	19:40	02:21	09:01	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	60.9°	216°	Pisces	16:19	22:20	04:20	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

RISES15:47

BEST TIME21:58S · 67° high

SETS04:15

Reaches about 67° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:23

BEST TIME07:51S · 81° high

SETS14:22

Reaches about 81° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:45

BEST TIME22:49S · 68° high

SETS04:53

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:23

BEST TIME11:58S · 48° high

SETS17:25

Reaches about 48° 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 TIME07:17S · 84° high

SETS13:54

Reaches about 84° 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.