OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

30.47°N, 77.77°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-64.1° (< −18°)

22:47:48

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 6m of true darkness · 12h 47m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:39

Civil Dusk18:04

Nautical18:32

Full Dark19:00

Nadir00:03

Dark Ends05:06

Nautical05:34

Civil Dawn06:02

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

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE58.8°

DISTANCE380,132 km

Moonrise15:48

Moonset04:17

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX79% · 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	-69.9°	305°	Libra	06:35	11:58	17:16	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-28.2°	49°	Leo	01:15	07:52	14:32	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	60.9°	178°	Pisces	16:45	22:50	04:55	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-19.9°	53°	Cancer	00:32	07:18	14:06	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-54.1°	276°	Libra	08:08	13:22	18:32	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	41.2°	88°	Taurus	19:28	02:21	09:15	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	58.5°	193°	Pisces	16:20	22:21	04:21	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

RISES15:48

BEST TIME21:59S · 61° high

SETS04:17

Reaches about 61° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:15

BEST TIME07:52S · 74° high

SETS14:32

Reaches about 74° 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 TIME22:50S · 61° high

SETS04:55

Reaches about 61° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:35

BEST TIME11:58S · 41° high

SETS17:16

Reaches about 41° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:32

BEST TIME07:18S · 77° high

SETS14:06

Reaches about 77° 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.