OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

26.66°N, 119.11°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-72.4° (< −18°)

00:25:39

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 4m of true darkness · 12h 39m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:28

Civil Dusk17:51

Nautical18:19

Full Dark18:45

Nadir23:48

Dark Ends04:50

Nautical05:17

Civil Dawn05:44

Sunrise06:07

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE43.1°

DISTANCE380,328 km

Moonrise15:29

Moonset03:54

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX63% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

70/100

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	-76.5°	52°	Libra	06:14	11:38	17:07	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-8.5°	69°	Leo	01:05	07:37	14:12	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	53.5°	231°	Pisces	16:31	22:35	04:40	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	0.3°	70°	Cancer	00:24	07:03	13:45	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-79.1°	300°	Libra	07:46	13:07	18:25	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	66.1°	98°	Taurus	19:21	02:07	08:53	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	46.8°	237°	Pisces	16:05	22:06	04:06	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

RISES15:29

BEST TIME21:38S · 64° high

SETS03:54

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:05

BEST TIME07:37S · 78° high

SETS14:12

Reaches about 78° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:31

BEST TIME22:35S · 65° high

SETS04:40

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:14

BEST TIME11:38S · 46° high

SETS17:07

Reaches about 46° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:24

BEST TIME07:03S · 81° high

SETS13:45

Reaches about 81° 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.