OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

32.49°N, 119.91°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-65.4° (< −18°)

00:39:08

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 7m of true darkness · 12h 52m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:19

Civil Dusk17:44

Nautical18:12

Full Dark18:41

Nadir23:44

Dark Ends04:48

Nautical05:16

Civil Dawn05:45

Sunrise06:10

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE37.3°

DISTANCE380,277 km

Moonrise15:27

Moonset03:52

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX56% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

72/100

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	-69.8°	47°	Libra	06:21	11:35	16:54	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-3.0°	70°	Leo	00:54	07:34	14:17	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	47.0°	230°	Pisces	16:27	22:32	04:37	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	5.3°	72°	Cancer	00:10	07:00	13:52	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-77.2°	334°	Libra	07:54	13:04	18:09	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	67.9°	116°	Taurus	19:05	02:03	09:02	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	40.6°	236°	Pisces	16:02	22:02	04:03	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

RISES15:27

BEST TIME21:35S · 58° high

SETS03:52

Reaches about 58° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:54

BEST TIME07:34S · 72° high

SETS14:17

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

RISES16:27

BEST TIME22:32S · 59° high

SETS04:37

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

RISES06:21

BEST TIME11:35S · 40° high

SETS16:54

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

RISES00:10

BEST TIME07:00S · 75° high

SETS13:52

Reaches about 75° 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.