OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

25.82°N, 98.86°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-72.3° (< −18°)

01:52:50

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 4m of true darkness · 12h 38m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:50

Civil Dusk19:13

Nautical19:40

Full Dark20:07

Nadir01:09

Dark Ends06:10

Nautical06:37

Civil Dawn07:04

Sunrise07:27

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE43.0°

DISTANCE380,001 km

Moonrise16:52

Moonset05:18

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	-75.7°	59°	Libra	07:33	12:58	18:29	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-7.5°	70°	Leo	02:27	08:58	15:31	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	52.8°	234°	Pisces	17:52	23:56	06:00	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	1.2°	70°	Cancer	01:46	08:24	15:04	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-80.8°	301°	Libra	09:05	14:28	19:47	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	67.7°	98°	Taurus	20:43	03:27	10:12	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	46.1°	239°	Pisces	17:26	23:26	05:27	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

RISES16:52

BEST TIME23:02S · 65° high

SETS05:18

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:27

BEST TIME08:58S · 79° high

SETS15:31

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

RISES17:52

BEST TIME23:56S · 66° high

SETS06:00

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

RISES07:33

BEST TIME12:58S · 46° high

SETS18:29

Reaches about 46° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:46

BEST TIME08:24S · 82° high

SETS15:04

Reaches about 82° 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.