OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

44.42°N, 87.74°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-55.7° (< −18°)

01:12:00

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

Sunset19:12

Civil Dusk19:41

Nautical20:15

Full Dark20:49

Nadir01:53

Dark Ends06:57

Nautical07:31

Civil Dawn08:05

Sunrise08:35

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE43.0°

DISTANCE380,154 km

Moonrise17:38

Moonset06:11

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX63% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

70/100

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	-62.4°	342°	Libra	08:54	13:49	18:36	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-14.0°	52°	Leo	02:41	09:42	16:46	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	46.5°	191°	Pisces	18:33	00:40	06:48	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-6.2°	57°	Cancer	01:52	09:08	16:27	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-55.8°	304°	Libra	10:34	15:12	19:47	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	46.1°	107°	Taurus	20:41	04:12	11:42	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	43.2°	201°	Pisces	18:10	00:11	06:11	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

RISES17:38

BEST TIME23:48S · 46° high

SETS06:11

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:41

BEST TIME09:42S · 60° high

SETS16:46

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

RISES18:33

BEST TIME00:40S · 47° high

SETS06:48

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

RISES08:54

BEST TIME13:49S · 27° high

SETS18:36

Reaches about 27° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:52

BEST TIME09:08S · 63° high

SETS16:27

Reaches about 63° 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.