OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

28.58°N, 91.59°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-61.7° (< −18°)

03:13:52

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 5m of true darkness · 12h 43m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:16

Civil Dusk19:40

Nautical20:08

Full Dark20:35

Nadir01:38

Dark Ends06:40

Nautical07:08

Civil Dawn07:35

Sunrise07:59

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE31.8°

DISTANCE379,699 km

Moonrise17:22

Moonset05:49

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX49% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

75/100

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	-63.9°	72°	Libra	08:07	13:27	18:54	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	4.0°	76°	Leo	02:53	09:27	16:04	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	41.5°	244°	Pisces	18:21	00:25	06:30	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	12.7°	76°	Cancer	02:10	08:53	15:38	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-81.2°	30°	Libra	09:39	14:53	20:11	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	77.6°	125°	Taurus	21:06	03:56	10:46	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	34.5°	247°	Pisces	17:55	23:55	05:56	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

RISES17:22

BEST TIME23:32S · 62° high

SETS05:49

Reaches about 62° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:53

BEST TIME09:27S · 76° high

SETS16:04

Reaches about 76° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:21

BEST TIME00:25S · 63° high

SETS06:30

Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:07

BEST TIME13:27S · 44° high

SETS18:54

Reaches about 44° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:10

BEST TIME08:53S · 79° high

SETS15:38

Reaches about 79° 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.