OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

31.48°N, 93.68°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-64.0° (< −18°)

00:18:25

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 7m of true darkness · 12h 50m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:05

Civil Dusk19:29

Nautical19:58

Full Dark20:26

Nadir01:29

Dark Ends06:33

Nautical07:01

Civil Dawn07:29

Sunrise07:54

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE57.0°

DISTANCE380,355 km

Moonrise17:14

Moonset05:41

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX77% · Heavy Lunar Wash

Bright moonlight washes out deep sky targets. Focus on lunar craters and bright planets.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

65/100

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	-70.0°	309°	Libra	08:03	13:25	18:40	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-26.8°	50°	Leo	02:40	09:18	16:00	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	59.9°	181°	Pisces	18:12	00:17	06:22	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-18.5°	54°	Cancer	01:57	08:45	15:35	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-54.9°	278°	Libra	09:37	14:48	19:56	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	42.1°	89°	Taurus	20:52	03:48	10:44	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	57.3°	194°	Pisces	17:46	23:47	05:48	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

RISES17:14

BEST TIME23:23S · 59° high

SETS05:41

Reaches about 59° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:40

BEST TIME09:18S · 73° high

SETS16:00

Reaches about 73° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:12

BEST TIME00:17S · 60° high

SETS06:22

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

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:03

BEST TIME13:25S · 40° high

SETS18:40

Reaches about 40° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:57

BEST TIME08:45S · 76° high

SETS15:35

Reaches about 76° 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.