OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

35.22°N, 109.52°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-63.3° (< −18°)

01:18:51

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 12h 58m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:57

Civil Dusk18:23

Nautical18:52

Full Dark19:22

Nadir00:26

Dark Ends05:30

Nautical05:59

Civil Dawn06:29

Sunrise06:55

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE36.7°

DISTANCE380,128 km

Moonrise16:09

Moonset04:36

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX55% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

73/100

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	-68.1°	41°	Libra	07:07	12:16	17:30	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-2.4°	70°	Leo	01:31	08:15	15:02	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	45.4°	228°	Pisces	17:08	23:14	05:19	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	5.7°	72°	Cancer	00:46	07:41	14:39	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-74.6°	337°	Libra	08:42	13:45	18:45	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	66.3°	121°	Taurus	19:40	02:45	09:50	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	39.3°	234°	Pisces	16:43	22:44	04:45	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

RISES16:09

BEST TIME22:18S · 55° high

SETS04:36

Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:31

BEST TIME08:15S · 69° high

SETS15:02

Reaches about 69° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:08

BEST TIME23:14S · 56° high

SETS05:19

Reaches about 56° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES07:07

BEST TIME12:16S · 37° high

SETS17:30

Reaches about 37° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:46

BEST TIME07:41S · 73° high

SETS14:39

Reaches about 73° 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.