OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

29.33°N, 85.23°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-66.4° (< −18°)

03:09:04

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 6m of true darkness · 12h 45m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:41

Civil Dusk20:05

Nautical20:33

Full Dark21:00

Nadir02:03

Dark Ends07:06

Nautical07:34

Civil Dawn08:01

Sunrise08:26

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE37.8°

DISTANCE379,716 km

Moonrise17:48

Moonset06:16

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX57% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

72/100

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	-69.7°	60°	Libra	08:33	13:53	19:18	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-1.7°	72°	Leo	03:17	09:52	16:30	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	46.8°	236°	Pisces	18:46	00:51	06:55	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	6.6°	73°	Cancer	02:34	09:18	16:04	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-81.1°	342°	Libra	10:06	15:22	20:35	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	71.5°	113°	Taurus	21:30	04:22	11:13	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	40.1°	241°	Pisces	18:20	00:21	06:21	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

RISES17:48

BEST TIME23:58S · 62° high

SETS06:16

Reaches about 62° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES03:17

BEST TIME09:52S · 75° high

SETS16:30

Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:46

BEST TIME00:51S · 62° high

SETS06:55

Reaches about 62° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:33

BEST TIME13:53S · 43° high

SETS19:18

Reaches about 43° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:34

BEST TIME09:18S · 79° high

SETS16:04

Reaches about 79° 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.