OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

40.94°N, 117.33°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-59.6° (< −18°)

00:25:41

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

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

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:19

Civil Dusk17:47

Nautical18:19

Full Dark18:50

Nadir23:55

Dark Ends04:59

Nautical05:31

Civil Dawn06:03

Sunrise06:31

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE36.7°

DISTANCE380,328 km

Moonrise15:38

Moonset04:05

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX55% · 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	-65.5°	22°	Libra	06:48	11:45	16:47	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-4.4°	66°	Leo	00:50	07:44	14:41	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	44.2°	217°	Pisces	16:36	22:42	04:49	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	3.6°	69°	Cancer	00:02	07:10	14:20	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-67.5°	330°	Libra	08:25	13:14	17:59	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	59.5°	123°	Taurus	18:54	02:14	09:34	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	38.9°	225°	Pisces	16:12	22:13	04:13	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

RISES15:38

BEST TIME21:46S · 49° high

SETS04:05

Reaches about 49° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:50

BEST TIME07:44S · 64° high

SETS14:41

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:36

BEST TIME22:42S · 51° high

SETS04:49

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:48

BEST TIME11:45S · 31° high

SETS16:47

Reaches about 31° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:02

BEST TIME07:10S · 67° high

SETS14:20

Reaches about 67° 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.