OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

35.08°N, 117.46°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-66.1° (< −18°)

00:08:04

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 12h 58m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:25

Civil Dusk17:51

Nautical18:21

Full Dark18:50

Nadir23:54

Dark Ends04:58

Nautical05:28

Civil Dawn05:57

Sunrise06:23

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE42.9°

DISTANCE380,394 km

Moonrise15:37

Moonset04:03

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX63% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

70/100

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	-72.2°	16°	Libra	06:35	11:44	16:59	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-9.9°	64°	Leo	01:00	07:43	14:30	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	50.9°	215°	Pisces	16:36	22:42	04:48	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-1.3°	66°	Cancer	00:15	07:10	14:07	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-69.9°	311°	Libra	08:10	13:13	18:13	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	59.0°	109°	Taurus	19:09	02:13	09:17	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	45.4°	224°	Pisces	16:12	22:12	04:13	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

RISES15:37

BEST TIME21:45S · 55° high

SETS04:03

Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:00

BEST TIME07:43S · 69° high

SETS14:30

Reaches about 69° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:36

BEST TIME22:42S · 56° high

SETS04:48

Reaches about 56° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:35

BEST TIME11:44S · 37° high

SETS16:59

Reaches about 37° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:15

BEST TIME07:10S · 73° high

SETS14:07

Reaches about 73° 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.