OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

0.00°N, 0.00°EAsia/Shanghai

Astronomical Twilight-17.3° (−12° to −18°)

02:57:13

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 33m of true darkness · 11h 53m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset01:47

Civil Dusk02:08

Nautical02:33

Full Dark02:57

Nadir07:44

Dark Ends12:30

Nautical12:55

Civil Dawn13:19

Sunrise13:40

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE47.4°

DISTANCE379,761 km

Moonrise23:39

Moonset12:01

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX68% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

58/100

Fair Stargazing

Partial haze or lunar wash. Bright clusters, double stars, and prominent planets remain well visible.

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	-18.6°	251°	Libra	13:31	19:38	01:39	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-72.8°	328°	Leo	09:31	15:36	21:37	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	36.4°	88°	Pisces	00:29	06:30	12:32	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-72.0°	358°	Cancer	08:57	15:01	21:03	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	1.4°	249°	Libra	15:01	21:02	03:04	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-14.9°	68°	Taurus	04:00	10:02	16:07	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	43.9°	91°	Pisces	23:59	06:01	12:02	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

RISES23:39

BEST TIME05:50N · 87° high

SETS12:01

Reaches about 87° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES09:31

BEST TIME15:36N · 76° high

SETS21:37

Reaches about 76° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:29

BEST TIME06:30N · 89° high

SETS12:32

Reaches about 89° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES13:31

BEST TIME19:38S · 72° high

SETS01:39

Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES08:57

BEST TIME15:01N · 72° high

SETS21:03

Reaches about 72° 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.