OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

18.57°N, 109.95°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-59.0° (< −18°)

02:28:41

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 58m of true darkness · 12h 24m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:12

Civil Dusk18:34

Nautical19:00

Full Dark19:25

Nadir00:24

Dark Ends05:23

Nautical05:48

Civil Dawn06:14

Sunrise06:36

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE27.2°

DISTANCE379,867 km

Moonrise16:06

Moonset04:31

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX42% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

77/100

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	-58.6°	94°	Libra	06:38	12:14	17:56	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	7.9°	77°	Leo	01:52	08:13	14:38	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	38.8°	256°	Pisces	17:09	23:12	05:15	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	16.7°	76°	Cancer	01:13	07:40	14:07	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-78.7°	104°	Libra	08:08	13:40	19:16	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	85.7°	55°	Taurus	20:12	02:43	09:14	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	31.3°	258°	Pisces	16:41	22:42	04:43	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

RISES16:06

BEST TIME22:16S · 72° high

SETS04:31

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:52

BEST TIME08:13S · 86° high

SETS14:38

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

RISES17:09

BEST TIME23:12S · 73° high

SETS05:15

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

RISES06:38

BEST TIME12:14S · 54° high

SETS17:56

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

RISES01:13

BEST TIME07:40S · 89° high

SETS14:07

Reaches about 89° 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.