OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

50.78°N, 121.52°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-45.6° (< −18°)

01:17:11

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 5m of true darkness · 13h 45m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset16:46

Civil Dusk17:19

Nautical17:58

Full Dark18:36

Nadir23:38

Dark Ends04:41

Nautical05:19

Civil Dawn05:57

Sunrise06:31

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE21.7°

DISTANCE380,134 km

Moonrise15:22

Moonset03:51

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX34% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

80/100

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	-50.8°	42°	Libra	06:59	11:28	16:03	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	9.4°	79°	Leo	00:11	07:27	14:47	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	28.9°	231°	Pisces	16:16	22:26	04:35	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	17.4°	83°	Cancer	23:17	06:53	14:32	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-59.6°	10°	Libra	08:42	12:54	17:09	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	59.2°	161°	Taurus	18:02	01:57	09:52	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	23.5°	237°	Pisces	15:55	21:56	03:57	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

RISES15:22

BEST TIME21:28S · 39° high

SETS03:51

Reaches about 39° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:11

BEST TIME07:27S · 54° high

SETS14:47

Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES16:16

BEST TIME22:26S · 41° high

SETS04:35

Reaches about 41° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:59

BEST TIME11:28S · 21° high

SETS16:03

Reaches about 21° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES23:17

BEST TIME06:53S · 57° high

SETS14:32

Reaches about 57° 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.