OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

24.89°N, 104.31°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-71.5° (< −18°)

23:53:49

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 3m of true darkness · 12h 36m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:29

Civil Dusk18:52

Nautical19:19

Full Dark19:45

Nadir00:47

Dark Ends05:48

Nautical06:15

Civil Dawn06:42

Sunrise07:05

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE60.4°

DISTANCE380,447 km

Moonrise16:30

Moonset04:55

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX80% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

64/100

Fair Stargazing

Partial haze or lunar wash. Bright clusters, double stars, and prominent planets remain well visible.

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	-77.1°	300°	Libra	07:10	12:43	18:09	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-27.7°	56°	Leo	02:07	08:36	15:08	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	66.1°	192°	Pisces	17:30	23:34	05:38	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-18.9°	58°	Cancer	01:26	08:02	14:41	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-59.4°	271°	Libra	08:41	14:06	19:27	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	45.7°	85°	Taurus	20:23	03:06	09:48	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	62.1°	207°	Pisces	17:04	23:05	05:05	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

RISES16:30

BEST TIME22:39S · 66° high

SETS04:55

Reaches about 66° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:07

BEST TIME08:36S · 80° high

SETS15:08

Reaches about 80° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:30

BEST TIME23:34S · 67° high

SETS05:38

Reaches about 67° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES07:10

BEST TIME12:43S · 47° high

SETS18:09

Reaches about 47° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:26

BEST TIME08:02S · 83° high

SETS14:41

Reaches about 83° 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.