OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

21.61°N, 108.07°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-51.5° (< −18°)

03:06:32

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 0m of true darkness · 12h 30m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:17

Civil Dusk18:39

Nautical19:06

Full Dark19:31

Nadir00:32

Dark Ends05:32

Nautical05:58

Civil Dawn06:24

Sunrise06:47

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE20.0°

DISTANCE379,726 km

Moonrise16:14

Moonset04:39

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX32% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

81/100

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	-51.6°	92°	Libra	06:50	12:22	17:59	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	15.4°	80°	Leo	01:56	08:21	14:46	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	31.2°	258°	Pisces	17:16	23:19	05:23	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	24.3°	79°	Cancer	01:16	07:47	14:19	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-71.9°	91°	Libra	08:20	13:47	19:18	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	86.3°	261°	Taurus	20:14	02:51	09:27	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	23.7°	260°	Pisces	16:49	22:50	04:50	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

RISES16:14

BEST TIME22:24S · 69° high

SETS04:39

Reaches about 69° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:56

BEST TIME08:21S · 83° high

SETS14:46

Reaches about 83° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:16

BEST TIME23:19S · 70° high

SETS05:23

Reaches about 70° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:50

BEST TIME12:22S · 51° high

SETS17:59

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:16

BEST TIME07:47S · 86° high

SETS14:19

Reaches about 86° 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.