OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

46.63°N, 84.08°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-48.2° (< −18°)

00:23:03

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 13h 30m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:23

Civil Dusk19:54

Nautical20:29

Full Dark21:04

Nadir02:08

Dark Ends07:12

Nautical07:47

Civil Dawn08:22

Sunrise08:53

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE44.1°

DISTANCE380,337 km

Moonrise17:53

Moonset06:27

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX64% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

69/100

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	-54.7°	317°	Libra	09:15	14:03	18:45	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-20.4°	38°	Leo	02:51	09:57	17:06	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	44.2°	169°	Pisces	18:47	00:55	07:03	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-13.4°	44°	Cancer	02:00	09:23	16:48	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-44.7°	289°	Libra	10:55	15:27	19:54	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	34.8°	96°	Taurus	20:48	04:26	12:05	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	43.0°	179°	Pisces	18:25	00:25	06:26	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 · Good height

RISES17:53

BEST TIME00:03S · 44° high

SETS06:27

Reaches about 44° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:51

BEST TIME09:57S · 58° high

SETS17:06

Reaches about 58° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES18:47

BEST TIME00:55S · 45° high

SETS07:03

Reaches about 45° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES09:15

BEST TIME14:03S · 25° high

SETS18:45

Reaches about 25° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:00

BEST TIME09:23S · 61° high

SETS16:48

Reaches about 61° 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.