OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

36.61°N, 114.49°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-47.8° (< −18°)

02:35:52

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 13h 1m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:35

Civil Dusk18:02

Nautical18:32

Full Dark19:02

Nadir00:06

Dark Ends05:10

Nautical05:40

Civil Dawn06:10

Sunrise06:37

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE18.5°

DISTANCE379,840 km

Moonrise15:49

Moonset04:16

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX29% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

82/100

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	-50.6°	72°	Libra	06:50	11:56	17:08	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	16.4°	84°	Leo	01:09	07:55	14:45	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	28.0°	249°	Pisces	16:48	22:54	05:00	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	25.1°	86°	Cancer	00:23	07:22	14:19	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-67.7°	50°	Libra	08:25	13:22	18:22	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	74.2°	189°	Taurus	19:17	02:25	09:33	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	21.2°	253°	Pisces	16:23	22:24	04:25	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

RISES15:49

BEST TIME21:57S · 54° high

SETS04:16

Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:09

BEST TIME07:55S · 68° high

SETS14:45

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:48

BEST TIME22:54S · 55° high

SETS05:00

Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:50

BEST TIME11:56S · 36° high

SETS17:08

Reaches about 36° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:23

BEST TIME07:22S · 71° high

SETS14:19

Reaches about 71° 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.