OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

36.15°N, 120.43°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-62.1° (< −18°)

00:39:04

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 13h 0m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:12

Civil Dusk17:38

Nautical18:08

Full Dark18:38

Nadir23:42

Dark Ends04:46

Nautical05:16

Civil Dawn05:46

Sunrise06:12

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE35.2°

DISTANCE380,277 km

Moonrise15:25

Moonset03:51

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX53% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

73/100

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	-66.9°	42°	Libra	06:25	11:33	16:45	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-1.4°	70°	Leo	00:46	07:32	14:20	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	44.3°	228°	Pisces	16:24	22:30	04:36	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	6.7°	73°	Cancer	00:01	06:58	13:57	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-74.0°	341°	Libra	08:01	13:02	17:59	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	66.4°	124°	Taurus	18:54	02:01	09:08	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	38.2°	234°	Pisces	16:00	22:00	04:01	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

RISES15:25

BEST TIME21:33S · 54° high

SETS03:51

Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:46

BEST TIME07:32S · 68° high

SETS14:20

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:24

BEST TIME22:30S · 55° high

SETS04:36

Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:25

BEST TIME11:33S · 36° high

SETS16:45

Reaches about 36° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:01

BEST TIME06:58S · 72° high

SETS13:57

Reaches about 72° 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.