OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

52.98°N, 122.79°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-47.4° (< −18°)

00:15:47

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 3m of true darkness · 13h 54m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset16:36

Civil Dusk17:12

Nautical17:52

Full Dark18:32

Nadir23:33

Dark Ends04:34

Nautical05:14

Civil Dawn05:55

Sunrise06:30

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE27.2°

DISTANCE380,365 km

Moonrise15:17

Moonset03:47

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX42% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

77/100

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	-53.5°	20°	Libra	07:01	11:23	15:49	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	1.9°	68°	Leo	23:59	07:22	14:48	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	33.2°	215°	Pisces	16:10	22:21	04:31	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	9.4°	73°	Cancer	23:03	06:48	14:36	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-57.0°	345°	Libra	08:46	12:52	16:54	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	53.0°	140°	Taurus	17:46	01:52	09:57	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	28.7°	222°	Pisces	15:50	21:51	03:52	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 · Good height

RISES15:17

BEST TIME21:23S · 37° high

SETS03:47

Reaches about 37° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES23:59

BEST TIME07:22S · 51° high

SETS14:48

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES16:10

BEST TIME22:21S · 39° high

SETS04:31

Reaches about 39° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Low in the sky

RISES07:01

BEST TIME11:23S · 19° high

SETS15:49

Only reaches about 19° above the horizon. An open view is important.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES23:03

BEST TIME06:48S · 55° high

SETS14:36

Reaches about 55° 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.