OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

32.31°N, 109.31°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-68.9° (< −18°)

00:14:09

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 7m of true darkness · 12h 51m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:01

Civil Dusk18:26

Nautical18:55

Full Dark19:23

Nadir00:27

Dark Ends05:30

Nautical05:59

Civil Dawn06:28

Sunrise06:52

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE49.0°

DISTANCE380,371 km

Moonrise16:10

Moonset04:36

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX70% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

67/100

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	-75.5°	354°	Libra	07:02	12:23	17:37	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-16.1°	60°	Leo	01:37	08:16	14:59	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	56.1°	207°	Pisces	17:09	23:14	05:20	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-7.5°	63°	Cancer	00:53	07:42	14:34	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-66.6°	294°	Libra	08:36	13:46	18:52	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	54.3°	99°	Taurus	19:48	02:46	09:44	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	51.1°	217°	Pisces	16:44	22:45	04:45	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

RISES16:10

BEST TIME22:19S · 58° high

SETS04:36

Reaches about 58° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:37

BEST TIME08:16S · 72° high

SETS14:59

Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:09

BEST TIME23:14S · 59° high

SETS05:20

Reaches about 59° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES07:02

BEST TIME12:23S · 40° high

SETS17:37

Reaches about 40° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:53

BEST TIME07:42S · 76° high

SETS14:34

Reaches about 76° 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.