OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

32.96°N, 114.63°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-51.5° (< −18°)

02:24:13

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 7m of true darkness · 12h 53m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:39

Civil Dusk18:04

Nautical18:33

Full Dark19:02

Nadir00:06

Dark Ends05:09

Nautical05:38

Civil Dawn06:07

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

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE21.4°

DISTANCE379,884 km

Moonrise15:48

Moonset04:14

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX34% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

80/100

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	-53.8°	74°	Libra	06:42	11:56	17:14	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	13.7°	81°	Leo	01:14	07:55	14:38	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	31.4°	249°	Pisces	16:48	22:53	04:59	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	22.5°	83°	Cancer	00:30	07:21	14:11	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-71.8°	52°	Libra	08:16	13:21	18:30	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	78.0°	179°	Taurus	19:25	02:24	09:24	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	24.4°	252°	Pisces	16:23	22:23	04:24	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

RISES15:48

BEST TIME21:57S · 57° high

SETS04:14

Reaches about 57° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:14

BEST TIME07:55S · 71° high

SETS14:38

Reaches about 71° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:48

BEST TIME22:53S · 59° high

SETS04:59

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

RISES06:42

BEST TIME11:56S · 39° high

SETS17:14

Reaches about 39° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:30

BEST TIME07:21S · 75° high

SETS14:11

Reaches about 75° 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.