OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

22.58°N, 113.08°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-50.9° (< −18°)

02:48:14

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 1m of true darkness · 12h 32m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:56

Civil Dusk18:19

Nautical18:45

Full Dark19:11

Nadir00:12

Dark Ends05:12

Nautical05:38

Civil Dawn06:05

Sunrise06:27

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE19.4°

DISTANCE379,794 km

Moonrise15:54

Moonset04:18

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX31% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

81/100

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	-51.2°	91°	Libra	06:32	12:02	17:38	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	16.0°	81°	Leo	01:35	08:01	14:27	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	30.6°	258°	Pisces	16:56	22:59	05:03	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	24.8°	80°	Cancer	00:54	07:27	14:00	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-71.5°	89°	Libra	08:02	13:27	18:56	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	85.7°	249°	Taurus	19:52	02:31	09:09	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	23.1°	259°	Pisces	16:29	22:30	04:30	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

RISES15:54

BEST TIME22:03S · 68° high

SETS04:18

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:35

BEST TIME08:01S · 82° high

SETS14:27

Reaches about 82° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:56

BEST TIME22:59S · 69° high

SETS05:03

Reaches about 69° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:32

BEST TIME12:02S · 50° high

SETS17:38

Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:54

BEST TIME07:27S · 85° high

SETS14:00

Reaches about 85° 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.