OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

25.27°N, 110.34°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-53.8° (< −18°)

02:43:49

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 3m of true darkness · 12h 37m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:04

Civil Dusk18:28

Nautical18:54

Full Dark19:21

Nadir00:23

Dark Ends05:24

Nautical05:51

Civil Dawn06:18

Sunrise06:41

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE22.5°

DISTANCE379,811 km

Moonrise16:05

Moonset04:30

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX35% · 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	-54.7°	86°	Libra	06:47	12:13	17:44	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	13.0°	80°	Leo	01:42	08:12	14:45	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	33.4°	254°	Pisces	17:06	23:10	05:14	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	21.8°	80°	Cancer	01:01	07:38	14:15	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-74.7°	77°	Libra	08:18	13:38	19:02	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	85.7°	186°	Taurus	19:58	02:42	09:25	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	26.0°	256°	Pisces	16:40	22:41	04:41	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

RISES16:05

BEST TIME22:15S · 65° high

SETS04:30

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:42

BEST TIME08:12S · 79° high

SETS14:45

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

RISES17:06

BEST TIME23:10S · 66° high

SETS05:14

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

RISES06:47

BEST TIME12:13S · 47° high

SETS17:44

Reaches about 47° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:01

BEST TIME07:38S · 83° high

SETS14:15

Reaches about 83° 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.