OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

37.21°N, 79.27°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-62.7° (< −18°)

03:06:11

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 3m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:56

Civil Dusk20:22

Nautical20:52

Full Dark21:23

Nadir02:27

Dark Ends07:31

Nautical08:02

Civil Dawn08:32

Sunrise08:59

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE38.9°

DISTANCE379,727 km

Moonrise18:12

Moonset06:43

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX58% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

71/100

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	-68.1°	31°	Libra	09:11	14:16	19:27	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-4.3°	68°	Leo	03:29	10:16	17:06	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	45.9°	222°	Pisces	19:08	01:14	07:20	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	3.9°	70°	Cancer	02:43	09:42	16:44	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-71.6°	330°	Libra	10:47	15:46	20:41	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	62.9°	120°	Taurus	21:36	04:45	11:55	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	40.2°	229°	Pisces	18:44	00:45	06:45	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

RISES18:12

BEST TIME00:23S · 54° high

SETS06:43

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES03:29

BEST TIME10:16S · 67° high

SETS17:06

Reaches about 67° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES19:08

BEST TIME01:14S · 54° high

SETS07:20

Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES09:11

BEST TIME14:16S · 35° high

SETS19:27

Reaches about 35° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:43

BEST TIME09:42S · 71° high

SETS16:44

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.