OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

44.38°N, 86.32°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-54.4° (< −18°)

00:57:32

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 23m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:17

Civil Dusk19:47

Nautical20:21

Full Dark20:55

Nadir01:59

Dark Ends07:03

Nautical07:37

Civil Dawn08:11

Sunrise08:40

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE44.5°

DISTANCE380,208 km

Moonrise17:44

Moonset06:17

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX65% · 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	-61.0°	332°	Libra	09:00	13:54	18:42	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-16.8°	48°	Leo	02:47	09:48	16:52	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	47.0°	184°	Pisces	18:39	00:46	06:54	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-9.2°	53°	Cancer	01:57	09:14	16:33	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-52.7°	298°	Libra	10:39	15:18	19:53	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	42.7°	103°	Taurus	20:47	04:17	11:48	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	44.3°	194°	Pisces	18:16	00:16	06:17	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

RISES17:44

BEST TIME23:54S · 46° high

SETS06:17

Reaches about 46° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:47

BEST TIME09:48S · 60° high

SETS16:52

Reaches about 60° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:39

BEST TIME00:46S · 47° high

SETS06:54

Reaches about 47° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES09:00

BEST TIME13:54S · 28° high

SETS18:42

Reaches about 28° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:57

BEST TIME09:14S · 64° high

SETS16:33

Reaches about 64° 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.