OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

30.86°N, 98.27°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-60.5° (< −18°)

02:46:45

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 7m of true darkness · 12h 48m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:47

Civil Dusk19:11

Nautical19:40

Full Dark20:08

Nadir01:11

Dark Ends06:14

Nautical06:42

Civil Dawn07:10

Sunrise07:35

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE31.0°

DISTANCE379,800 km

Moonrise16:55

Moonset05:22

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX48% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

75/100

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	-63.2°	67°	Libra	07:44	13:01	18:23	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	4.5°	76°	Leo	02:23	09:00	15:41	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	40.5°	242°	Pisces	17:54	23:58	06:03	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	13.2°	77°	Cancer	01:40	08:26	15:15	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-79.2°	23°	Libra	09:17	14:27	19:39	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	76.1°	133°	Taurus	20:35	03:30	10:24	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	33.7°	246°	Pisces	17:28	23:29	05:29	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

RISES16:55

BEST TIME23:04S · 60° high

SETS05:22

Reaches about 60° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:23

BEST TIME09:00S · 74° high

SETS15:41

Reaches about 74° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:54

BEST TIME23:58S · 61° high

SETS06:03

Reaches about 61° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES07:44

BEST TIME13:01S · 41° high

SETS18:23

Reaches about 41° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:40

BEST TIME08:26S · 77° high

SETS15:15

Reaches about 77° 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.