OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

27.93°N, 101.28°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-71.8° (< −18°)

00:26:51

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 5m of true darkness · 12h 42m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:38

Civil Dusk19:02

Nautical19:29

Full Dark19:56

Nadir00:59

Dark Ends06:01

Nautical06:29

Civil Dawn06:56

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

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE55.2°

DISTANCE380,323 km

Moonrise16:42

Moonset05:09

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX76% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

65/100

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	-78.4°	328°	Libra	07:27	12:55	18:16	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-22.0°	58°	Leo	02:15	08:48	15:24	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	61.8°	202°	Pisces	17:42	23:46	05:51	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-13.3°	61°	Cancer	01:33	08:14	14:58	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-63.8°	279°	Libra	08:59	14:18	19:33	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	50.5°	90°	Taurus	20:29	03:18	10:06	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	57.1°	214°	Pisces	17:16	23:17	05:17	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

RISES16:42

BEST TIME22:52S · 63° high

SETS05:09

Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:15

BEST TIME08:48S · 77° high

SETS15:24

Reaches about 77° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:42

BEST TIME23:46S · 64° high

SETS05:51

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES07:27

BEST TIME12:55S · 44° high

SETS18:16

Reaches about 44° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:33

BEST TIME08:14S · 80° high

SETS14:58

Reaches about 80° 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.