OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

36.23°N, 111.38°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-64.9° (< −18°)

00:36:08

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

Sunset17:48

Civil Dusk18:15

Nautical18:45

Full Dark19:14

Nadir00:19

Dark Ends05:23

Nautical05:53

Civil Dawn06:23

Sunrise06:49

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE41.8°

DISTANCE380,288 km

Moonrise16:02

Moonset04:29

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX62% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

70/100

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	-70.9°	18°	Libra	07:02	12:09	17:21	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-8.7°	64°	Leo	01:22	08:08	14:56	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	49.5°	216°	Pisces	17:00	23:06	05:12	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-0.2°	67°	Cancer	00:37	07:34	14:33	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-69.6°	315°	Libra	08:37	13:38	18:35	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	59.4°	111°	Taurus	19:30	02:37	09:45	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	44.1°	224°	Pisces	16:36	22:36	04:37	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

RISES16:02

BEST TIME22:10S · 54° high

SETS04:29

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:22

BEST TIME08:08S · 68° high

SETS14:56

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

RISES17:00

BEST TIME23:06S · 55° high

SETS05:12

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

RISES07:02

BEST TIME12:09S · 36° high

SETS17:21

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

RISES00:37

BEST TIME07:34S · 72° high

SETS14:33

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.