OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

24.17°N, 102.40°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-75.7° (< −18°)

00:26:53

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 2m of true darkness · 12h 35m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:37

Civil Dusk19:00

Nautical19:27

Full Dark19:53

Nadir00:54

Dark Ends05:55

Nautical06:22

Civil Dawn06:49

Sunrise07:12

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE57.1°

DISTANCE380,323 km

Moonrise16:38

Moonset05:03

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX77% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

65/100

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	-82.1°	321°	Libra	07:16	12:50	18:18	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-23.1°	60°	Leo	02:15	08:43	15:15	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	64.8°	207°	Pisces	17:38	23:42	05:46	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-14.2°	62°	Cancer	01:34	08:10	14:47	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-65.2°	272°	Libra	08:48	14:14	19:36	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	51.4°	86°	Taurus	20:32	03:13	09:54	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	59.5°	219°	Pisces	17:12	23:12	05:13	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

RISES16:38

BEST TIME22:47S · 67° high

SETS05:03

Reaches about 67° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:15

BEST TIME08:43S · 80° high

SETS15:15

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

RISES17:38

BEST TIME23:42S · 67° high

SETS05:46

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

RISES07:16

BEST TIME12:50S · 48° high

SETS18:18

Reaches about 48° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:34

BEST TIME08:10S · 84° high

SETS14:47

Reaches about 84° 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.