OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

26.45°N, 103.44°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-74.5° (< −18°)

00:33:19

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

Sunset18:31

Civil Dusk18:54

Nautical19:21

Full Dark19:48

Nadir00:50

Dark Ends05:52

Nautical06:19

Civil Dawn06:46

Sunrise07:10

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE53.8°

DISTANCE380,299 km

Moonrise16:33

Moonset04:59

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX74% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

66/100

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	-81.2°	344°	Libra	07:16	12:46	18:10	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-19.8°	61°	Leo	02:08	08:39	15:14	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	61.7°	210°	Pisces	17:34	23:38	05:42	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-11.0°	63°	Cancer	01:27	08:06	14:47	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-67.4°	279°	Libra	08:48	14:09	19:28	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	53.9°	90°	Taurus	20:23	03:09	09:55	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	56.3°	221°	Pisces	17:07	23:08	05:09	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

RISES16:33

BEST TIME22:43S · 64° high

SETS04:59

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:08

BEST TIME08:39S · 78° high

SETS15:14

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

RISES17:34

BEST TIME23:38S · 65° high

SETS05:42

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

RISES07:16

BEST TIME12:46S · 45° high

SETS18:10

Reaches about 45° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:27

BEST TIME08:06S · 81° high

SETS14:47

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.