OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

30.15°N, 95.56°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-70.4° (< −18°)

00:57:39

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 6m of true darkness · 12h 47m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:58

Civil Dusk19:23

Nautical19:51

Full Dark20:19

Nadir01:22

Dark Ends06:25

Nautical06:53

Civil Dawn07:21

Sunrise07:45

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE52.6°

DISTANCE380,208 km

Moonrise17:06

Moonset05:33

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX73% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

66/100

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	-77.1°	341°	Libra	07:53	13:18	18:35	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-19.4°	59°	Leo	02:35	09:11	15:50	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	59.1°	204°	Pisces	18:04	00:09	06:14	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-10.7°	61°	Cancer	01:52	08:37	15:25	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-65.1°	286°	Libra	09:27	14:41	19:52	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	52.2°	94°	Taurus	20:47	03:40	10:34	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	54.3°	215°	Pisces	17:39	23:40	05:40	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

RISES17:06

BEST TIME23:16S · 61° high

SETS05:33

Reaches about 61° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:35

BEST TIME09:11S · 74° high

SETS15:50

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

RISES18:04

BEST TIME00:09S · 61° high

SETS06:14

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

RISES07:53

BEST TIME13:18S · 42° high

SETS18:35

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

RISES01:52

BEST TIME08:37S · 78° high

SETS15:25

Reaches about 78° 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.