OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

31.91°N, 117.18°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-68.9° (< −18°)

00:16:46

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 7m of true darkness · 12h 50m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:30

Civil Dusk17:55

Nautical18:23

Full Dark18:52

Nadir23:55

Dark Ends04:59

Nautical05:27

Civil Dawn05:56

Sunrise06:21

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE43.6°

DISTANCE380,361 km

Moonrise15:38

Moonset04:03

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX64% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

69/100

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	-74.6°	26°	Libra	06:30	11:45	17:06	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-9.8°	66°	Leo	01:06	07:44	14:27	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	52.4°	221°	Pisces	16:38	22:43	04:48	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-1.1°	68°	Cancer	00:22	07:11	14:01	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-73.1°	307°	Libra	08:04	13:15	18:22	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	61.5°	105°	Taurus	19:17	02:14	09:11	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	46.5°	228°	Pisces	16:13	22:13	04:14	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 · 58° high

SETS04:03

Reaches about 58° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:06

BEST TIME07:44S · 73° high

SETS14:27

Reaches about 73° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:38

BEST TIME22:43S · 60° high

SETS04:48

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

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:30

BEST TIME11:45S · 40° high

SETS17:06

Reaches about 40° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:22

BEST TIME07:11S · 76° high

SETS14:01

Reaches about 76° 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.