OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

24.83°N, 115.10°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-71.5° (< −18°)

00:57:28

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 3m of true darkness · 12h 36m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:46

Civil Dusk18:09

Nautical18:36

Full Dark19:02

Nadir00:04

Dark Ends05:05

Nautical05:32

Civil Dawn05:58

Sunrise06:22

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE40.9°

DISTANCE380,208 km

Moonrise15:46

Moonset04:10

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX60% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

71/100

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	-74.3°	67°	Libra	06:27	11:54	17:26	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-5.8°	71°	Leo	01:24	07:53	14:25	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	51.6°	237°	Pisces	16:47	22:51	04:55	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	2.8°	71°	Cancer	00:43	07:19	13:58	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-83.1°	304°	Libra	07:58	13:23	18:44	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	69.9°	97°	Taurus	19:40	02:23	09:05	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	44.7°	242°	Pisces	16:21	22:22	04:22	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

RISES15:46

BEST TIME21:55S · 66° high

SETS04:10

Reaches about 66° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:24

BEST TIME07:53S · 80° high

SETS14:25

Reaches about 80° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:47

BEST TIME22:51S · 67° high

SETS04:55

Reaches about 67° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:27

BEST TIME11:54S · 47° high

SETS17:26

Reaches about 47° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:43

BEST TIME07:19S · 83° high

SETS13:58

Reaches about 83° 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.