OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

30.66°N, 116.63°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-59.7° (< −18°)

01:38:23

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 6m of true darkness · 12h 48m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:34

Civil Dusk17:58

Nautical18:26

Full Dark18:54

Nadir23:58

Dark Ends05:01

Nautical05:29

Civil Dawn05:57

Sunrise06:21

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE29.4°

DISTANCE380,055 km

Moonrise15:40

Moonset04:05

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX45% · Moderate Lunar Glow

Milky Way contrast is softened. Bright open clusters and double stars are optimal.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

76/100

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/Shanghai

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-62.3°	69°	Libra	06:30	11:48	17:10	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	5.4°	76°	Leo	01:10	07:47	14:27	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	39.7°	243°	Pisces	16:40	22:45	04:50	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	14.2°	77°	Cancer	00:27	07:13	14:01	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-78.9°	29°	Libra	08:04	13:13	18:26	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	77.0°	136°	Taurus	19:22	02:16	09:11	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	32.8°	247°	Pisces	16:15	22:16	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

RISES15:40

BEST TIME21:49S · 60° high

SETS04:05

Reaches about 60° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:10

BEST TIME07:47S · 74° high

SETS14:27

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

RISES16:40

BEST TIME22:45S · 61° high

SETS04:50

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

RISES06:30

BEST TIME11:48S · 42° high

SETS17:10

Reaches about 42° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:27

BEST TIME07:13S · 77° high

SETS14:01

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.