OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

37.97°N, 106.55°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-47.5° (< −18°)

03:05:47

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 5m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:06

Civil Dusk18:32

Nautical19:03

Full Dark19:33

Nadir00:38

Dark Ends05:42

Nautical06:13

Civil Dawn06:43

Sunrise07:10

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE18.8°

DISTANCE379,729 km

Moonrise16:21

Moonset04:50

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX30% · 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	-50.5°	70°	Libra	07:24	12:28	17:37	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	16.2°	84°	Leo	01:39	08:27	15:19	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	27.8°	248°	Pisces	17:19	23:25	05:32	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	24.9°	86°	Cancer	00:52	07:53	14:54	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-67.0°	47°	Libra	09:00	13:53	18:50	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	72.9°	187°	Taurus	19:45	02:57	10:08	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	21.1°	252°	Pisces	16:55	22:56	04:56	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

RISES16:21

BEST TIME22:30S · 53° high

SETS04:50

Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:39

BEST TIME08:27S · 66° high

SETS15:19

Reaches about 66° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:19

BEST TIME23:25S · 54° high

SETS05:32

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

RISES07:24

BEST TIME12:28S · 34° high

SETS17:37

Reaches about 34° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:52

BEST TIME07:53S · 70° high

SETS14:54

Reaches about 70° 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.