OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

27.87°N, 91.80°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-72.2° (< −18°)

02:06:50

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 5m of true darkness · 12h 42m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:16

Civil Dusk19:40

Nautical20:07

Full Dark20:34

Nadir01:37

Dark Ends06:39

Nautical07:06

Civil Dawn07:34

Sunrise07:58

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE45.1°

DISTANCE379,949 km

Moonrise17:21

Moonset05:48

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX66% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

69/100

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	-76.9°	43°	Libra	08:05	13:27	18:54	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-9.7°	68°	Leo	02:53	09:26	16:02	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	54.0°	227°	Pisces	18:20	00:24	06:29	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-0.8°	69°	Cancer	02:11	08:52	15:36	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-77.0°	300°	Libra	09:37	14:56	20:11	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	64.2°	99°	Taurus	21:07	03:55	10:44	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	47.6°	234°	Pisces	17:54	23:55	05:55	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

RISES17:21

BEST TIME23:31S · 63° high

SETS05:48

Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:53

BEST TIME09:26S · 77° high

SETS16:02

Reaches about 77° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:20

BEST TIME00:24S · 64° high

SETS06:29

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:05

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

RISES02:11

BEST TIME08:52S · 80° high

SETS15:36

Reaches about 80° 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.