OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

25.15°N, 100.61°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-62.2° (< −18°)

02:43:21

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 3m of true darkness · 12h 37m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:43

Civil Dusk19:06

Nautical19:33

Full Dark20:00

Nadir01:02

Dark Ends06:03

Nautical06:30

Civil Dawn06:57

Sunrise07:20

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE31.3°

DISTANCE379,812 km

Moonrise16:45

Moonset05:11

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX48% · Moderate Lunar Glow

Milky Way contrast is softened. Bright open clusters and double stars are optimal.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

75/100

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	-63.6°	80°	Libra	07:25	12:51	18:23	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	4.4°	76°	Leo	02:21	08:51	15:23	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	41.8°	247°	Pisces	17:45	23:49	05:53	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	13.1°	76°	Cancer	01:40	08:17	14:56	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-83.0°	54°	Libra	08:57	14:17	19:41	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	80.4°	114°	Taurus	20:37	03:20	10:03	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	34.5°	251°	Pisces	17:19	23:19	05:20	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

RISES16:45

BEST TIME22:55S · 66° high

SETS05:11

Reaches about 66° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:21

BEST TIME08:51S · 79° high

SETS15:23

Reaches about 79° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:45

BEST TIME23:49S · 66° high

SETS05:53

Reaches about 66° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES07:25

BEST TIME12:51S · 47° high

SETS18:23

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

RISES01:40

BEST TIME08:17S · 83° high

SETS14:56

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.