OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

33.98°N, 103.57°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-65.0° (< −18°)

00:02:51

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

Sunset18:22

Civil Dusk18:48

Nautical19:17

Full Dark19:46

Nadir00:50

Dark Ends05:54

Nautical06:23

Civil Dawn06:52

Sunrise07:17

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE52.2°

DISTANCE380,413 km

Moonrise16:33

Moonset05:01

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	-71.5°	328°	Libra	07:28	12:46	17:56	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-21.3°	54°	Leo	01:57	08:39	15:24	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	56.9°	192°	Pisces	17:32	23:37	05:43	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-12.9°	57°	Cancer	01:12	08:05	15:00	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-59.3°	287°	Libra	09:03	14:09	19:11	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	47.0°	95°	Taurus	20:07	03:09	10:10	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	53.3°	203°	Pisces	17:07	23:08	05:08	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

RISES16:33

BEST TIME22:43S · 57° high

SETS05:01

Reaches about 57° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:57

BEST TIME08:39S · 70° high

SETS15:24

Reaches about 70° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:32

BEST TIME23:37S · 57° high

SETS05:43

Reaches about 57° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES07:28

BEST TIME12:46S · 38° high

SETS17:56

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

RISES01:12

BEST TIME08:05S · 74° high

SETS15:00

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.