OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

32.01°N, 80.35°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-55.2° (< −18°)

00:21:34

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 7m of true darkness · 12h 51m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:57

Civil Dusk20:22

Nautical20:51

Full Dark21:19

Nadir02:23

Dark Ends07:26

Nautical07:55

Civil Dawn08:23

Sunrise08:48

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE59.0°

DISTANCE380,343 km

Moonrise18:08

Moonset06:37

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX79% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

64/100

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	-60.4°	292°	Libra	08:57	14:18	19:33	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-33.9°	39°	Leo	03:33	10:11	16:54	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	57.3°	157°	Pisces	19:05	01:10	07:15	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-26.3°	44°	Cancer	02:49	09:38	16:29	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-44.1°	271°	Libra	10:31	15:42	20:48	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	31.5°	84°	Taurus	21:44	04:41	11:38	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	57.3°	171°	Pisces	18:40	00:40	06:41	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

RISES18:08

BEST TIME00:18S · 59° high

SETS06:37

Reaches about 59° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES03:33

BEST TIME10:11S · 72° high

SETS16:54

Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES19:05

BEST TIME01:10S · 59° high

SETS07:15

Reaches about 59° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:57

BEST TIME14:18S · 40° high

SETS19:33

Reaches about 40° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:49

BEST TIME09:38S · 76° high

SETS16:29

Reaches about 76° 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.