OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

40.82°N, 122.83°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-46.3° (< −18°)

01:59:33

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 12m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset16:57

Civil Dusk17:25

Nautical17:57

Full Dark18:28

Nadir23:33

Dark Ends04:37

Nautical05:09

Civil Dawn05:41

Sunrise06:09

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE17.8°

DISTANCE379,976 km

Moonrise15:16

Moonset03:42

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX28% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

82/100

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	-49.7°	67°	Libra	06:26	11:23	16:25	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	16.2°	85°	Leo	00:29	07:22	14:19	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	26.9°	246°	Pisces	16:14	22:21	04:27	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	24.8°	87°	Cancer	23:41	06:48	13:55	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-65.1°	41°	Libra	08:03	12:49	17:38	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	70.1°	185°	Taurus	18:32	01:52	09:11	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	20.4°	251°	Pisces	15:50	21:51	03:51	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

RISES15:16

BEST TIME21:23S · 49° high

SETS03:42

Reaches about 49° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:29

BEST TIME07:22S · 64° high

SETS14:19

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:14

BEST TIME22:21S · 51° high

SETS04:27

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:26

BEST TIME11:23S · 31° high

SETS16:25

Reaches about 31° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES23:41

BEST TIME06:48S · 67° high

SETS13:55

Reaches about 67° 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.