OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

18.28°N, 109.57°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-51.6° (< −18°)

03:01:31

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 57m of true darkness · 12h 24m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:14

Civil Dusk18:36

Nautical19:01

Full Dark19:27

Nadir00:26

Dark Ends05:24

Nautical05:50

Civil Dawn06:15

Sunrise06:38

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE20.1°

DISTANCE379,745 km

Moonrise16:08

Moonset04:32

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX32% · 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	-51.1°	96°	Libra	06:39	12:16	17:58	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	15.1°	79°	Leo	01:54	08:15	14:36	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	31.6°	260°	Pisces	17:10	23:13	05:17	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	23.8°	78°	Cancer	01:15	07:41	14:08	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-71.3°	101°	Libra	08:09	13:41	19:18	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	85.3°	305°	Taurus	20:14	02:45	09:15	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	24.0°	261°	Pisces	16:43	22:44	04:45	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

RISES16:08

BEST TIME22:18S · 72° high

SETS04:32

Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:54

BEST TIME08:15S · 86° high

SETS14:36

Reaches about 86° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:10

BEST TIME23:13S · 73° high

SETS05:17

Reaches about 73° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:39

BEST TIME12:16S · 54° high

SETS17:58

Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:15

BEST TIME07:41S · 90° high

SETS14:08

Reaches about 90° 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.