OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

37.53°N, 110.23°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-59.6° (< −18°)

01:32:35

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 4m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:51

Civil Dusk18:18

Nautical18:48

Full Dark19:19

Nadir00:23

Dark Ends05:27

Nautical05:58

Civil Dawn06:28

Sunrise06:55

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE32.8°

DISTANCE380,077 km

Moonrise16:06

Moonset04:34

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX50% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

74/100

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	-64.1°	46°	Libra	07:09	12:13	17:23	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	1.2°	72°	Leo	01:25	08:12	15:03	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	41.4°	231°	Pisces	17:05	23:11	05:17	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	9.6°	75°	Cancer	00:38	07:39	14:41	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-73.2°	353°	Libra	08:45	13:42	18:36	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	67.6°	133°	Taurus	19:31	02:42	09:52	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	35.3°	236°	Pisces	16:40	22:41	04:42	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

RISES16:06

BEST TIME22:15S · 53° high

SETS04:34

Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:25

BEST TIME08:12S · 67° high

SETS15:03

Reaches about 67° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:05

BEST TIME23:11S · 54° high

SETS05:17

Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES07:09

BEST TIME12:13S · 35° high

SETS17:23

Reaches about 35° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:38

BEST TIME07:39S · 70° high

SETS14:41

Reaches about 70° 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.