OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

39.39°N, 117.30°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-60.3° (< −18°)

00:38:41

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 8m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:21

Civil Dusk17:48

Nautical18:19

Full Dark18:50

Nadir23:55

Dark Ends04:59

Nautical05:30

Civil Dawn06:02

Sunrise06:29

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE35.7°

DISTANCE380,279 km

Moonrise15:38

Moonset04:05

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX54% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

73/100

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	-65.8°	31°	Libra	06:45	11:45	16:51	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-2.7°	68°	Leo	00:53	07:44	14:38	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	43.8°	222°	Pisces	16:36	22:43	04:49	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	5.4°	71°	Cancer	00:06	07:10	14:16	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-70.0°	336°	Libra	08:21	13:14	18:03	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	62.5°	125°	Taurus	18:58	02:14	09:29	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	38.2°	229°	Pisces	16:12	22:13	04:13	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

RISES15:38

BEST TIME21:46S · 51° high

SETS04:05

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:53

BEST TIME07:44S · 65° high

SETS14:38

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:36

BEST TIME22:43S · 52° high

SETS04:49

Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:45

BEST TIME11:45S · 33° high

SETS16:51

Reaches about 33° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:06

BEST TIME07:10S · 69° high

SETS14:16

Reaches about 69° 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.