OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

45.75°N, 126.61°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-53.0° (< −18°)

00:20:39

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 13h 27m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset16:34

Civil Dusk17:05

Nautical17:39

Full Dark18:14

Nadir23:18

Dark Ends04:22

Nautical04:56

Civil Dawn05:31

Sunrise06:01

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE29.0°

DISTANCE380,346 km

Moonrise15:01

Moonset03:28

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX45% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

76/100

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	-58.5°	33°	Libra	06:23	11:08	15:58	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	2.5°	72°	Leo	00:03	07:07	14:14	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	36.7°	224°	Pisces	15:57	22:05	04:13	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	10.5°	75°	Cancer	23:13	06:33	13:56	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-64.8°	352°	Libra	08:03	12:37	17:07	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	60.7°	141°	Taurus	18:01	01:37	09:12	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	31.3°	230°	Pisces	15:35	21:36	03:36	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 · Good height

RISES15:01

BEST TIME21:07S · 44° high

SETS03:28

Reaches about 44° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:03

BEST TIME07:07S · 59° high

SETS14:14

Reaches about 59° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES15:57

BEST TIME22:05S · 46° high

SETS04:13

Reaches about 46° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:23

BEST TIME11:08S · 26° high

SETS15:58

Reaches about 26° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES23:13

BEST TIME06:33S · 62° high

SETS13:56

Reaches about 62° 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.