OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

33.76°N, 99.65°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-67.0° (< −18°)

01:29:53

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 12h 55m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:38

Civil Dusk19:03

Nautical19:33

Full Dark20:02

Nadir01:05

Dark Ends06:09

Nautical06:38

Civil Dawn07:07

Sunrise07:33

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE42.6°

DISTANCE380,087 km

Moonrise16:49

Moonset05:17

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX63% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

70/100

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	-72.6°	26°	Libra	07:44	12:55	18:12	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-8.5°	66°	Leo	02:13	08:54	15:39	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	50.5°	220°	Pisces	17:48	23:53	05:58	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	0.1°	68°	Cancer	01:29	08:21	15:15	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-72.4°	314°	Libra	09:18	14:25	19:28	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	61.6°	109°	Taurus	20:23	03:24	10:25	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	44.8°	228°	Pisces	17:23	23:23	05:24	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

RISES16:49

BEST TIME22:59S · 57° high

SETS05:17

Reaches about 57° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:13

BEST TIME08:54S · 71° high

SETS15:39

Reaches about 71° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:48

BEST TIME23:53S · 58° high

SETS05:58

Reaches about 58° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES07:44

BEST TIME12:55S · 38° high

SETS18:12

Reaches about 38° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:29

BEST TIME08:21S · 74° high

SETS15:15

Reaches about 74° 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.