OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

16.73°N, 82.21°EAsia/Kolkata

Deep Astronomical Night-83.4° (< −18°)

23:28:35

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 56m of true darkness · 12h 21m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:34

Civil Dusk17:56

Nautical18:22

Full Dark18:47

Nadir23:45

Dark Ends04:43

Nautical05:08

Civil Dawn05:34

Sunrise05:56

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE60.0°

DISTANCE379,980 km

Moonrise15:30

Moonset03:55

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	-87.3°	241°	Libra	05:56	11:41	17:19	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-24.2°	65°	Leo	01:15	07:34	13:57	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	69.4°	223°	Pisces	16:30	22:33	04:36	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-15.2°	65°	Cancer	00:36	07:00	13:27	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-67.1°	256°	Libra	07:25	13:04	18:39	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	52.9°	77°	Taurus	19:36	02:04	08:32	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	62.9°	233°	Pisces	16:02	22:03	04:04	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

RISES15:30

BEST TIME21:41S · 75° high

SETS03:55

Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:15

BEST TIME07:34S · 88° high

SETS13:57

Reaches about 88° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:30

BEST TIME22:33S · 75° high

SETS04:36

Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:56

BEST TIME11:41S · 55° high

SETS17:19

Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:36

BEST TIME07:00N · 89° high

SETS13:27

Reaches about 89° 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.