OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

24.60°N, 99.91°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-75.6° (< −18°)

00:40:15

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 3m of true darkness · 12h 35m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:47

Civil Dusk19:10

Nautical19:36

Full Dark20:03

Nadir01:04

Dark Ends06:06

Nautical06:32

Civil Dawn06:59

Sunrise07:22

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE56.3°

DISTANCE380,273 km

Moonrise16:48

Moonset05:14

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	-82.2°	327°	Libra	07:27	13:00	18:27	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-22.2°	61°	Leo	02:25	08:53	15:26	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	64.1°	208°	Pisces	17:48	23:52	05:56	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-13.3°	63°	Cancer	01:44	08:20	14:58	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-66.0°	274°	Libra	08:58	14:24	19:45	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	52.2°	87°	Taurus	20:41	03:23	10:05	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	58.7°	220°	Pisces	17:21	23:22	05:23	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

RISES16:48

BEST TIME22:58S · 66° high

SETS05:14

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:25

BEST TIME08:53S · 80° high

SETS15:26

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

RISES17:48

BEST TIME23:52S · 67° high

SETS05:56

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

RISES07:27

BEST TIME13:00S · 47° high

SETS18:27

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

RISES01:44

BEST TIME08:20S · 83° high

SETS14:58

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.