OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

26.74°N, 110.22°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-71.4° (< −18°)

01:08:10

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 4m of true darkness · 12h 40m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:03

Civil Dusk18:27

Nautical18:54

Full Dark19:21

Nadir00:23

Dark Ends05:25

Nautical05:52

Civil Dawn06:19

Sunrise06:43

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE42.1°

DISTANCE380,168 km

Moonrise16:06

Moonset04:31

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX62% · 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	-75.1°	56°	Libra	06:49	12:13	17:43	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-7.0°	70°	Leo	01:41	08:12	14:47	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	52.2°	233°	Pisces	17:06	23:11	05:15	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	1.6°	71°	Cancer	00:59	07:39	14:20	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-80.4°	306°	Libra	08:21	13:42	19:00	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	67.7°	100°	Taurus	19:56	02:42	09:28	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	45.5°	239°	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 · 64° high

SETS04:31

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:41

BEST TIME08:12S · 78° high

SETS14:47

Reaches about 78° 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 TIME23:11S · 65° high

SETS05:15

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:49

BEST TIME12:13S · 46° high

SETS17:43

Reaches about 46° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:59

BEST TIME07:39S · 81° high

SETS14:20

Reaches about 81° 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.