OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

40.20°N, 116.84°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-57.0° (< −18°)

01:09:18

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 11m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:22

Civil Dusk17:49

Nautical18:21

Full Dark18:52

Nadir23:57

Dark Ends05:01

Nautical05:33

Civil Dawn06:04

Sunrise06:32

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE30.8°

DISTANCE380,164 km

Moonrise15:40

Moonset04:07

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX47% · 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	-61.8°	43°	Libra	06:48	11:47	16:51	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	2.5°	73°	Leo	00:54	07:46	14:42	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	39.2°	230°	Pisces	16:38	22:44	04:51	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	10.8°	76°	Cancer	00:06	07:12	14:20	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-70.6°	356°	Libra	08:25	13:16	18:03	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	66.1°	138°	Taurus	18:58	02:16	09:33	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	33.3°	236°	Pisces	16:14	22:15	04:15	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

RISES15:40

BEST TIME21:48S · 50° high

SETS04:07

Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:54

BEST TIME07:46S · 64° high

SETS14:42

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:38

BEST TIME22:44S · 51° high

SETS04:51

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:48

BEST TIME11:47S · 32° high

SETS16:51

Reaches about 32° 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 TIME07:12S · 68° high

SETS14:20

Reaches about 68° 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.