OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

22.03°N, 111.94°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-54.9° (< −18°)

02:35:51

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 1m of true darkness · 12h 31m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:01

Civil Dusk18:24

Nautical18:50

Full Dark19:16

Nadir00:16

Dark Ends05:16

Nautical05:43

Civil Dawn06:09

Sunrise06:32

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE23.2°

DISTANCE379,840 km

Moonrise15:58

Moonset04:23

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX37% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

79/100

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	-55.2°	90°	Libra	06:35	12:06	17:43	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	12.0°	79°	Leo	01:40	08:05	14:31	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	34.6°	256°	Pisces	17:00	23:04	05:08	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	20.9°	78°	Cancer	01:00	07:32	14:04	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-75.5°	88°	Libra	08:06	13:32	19:02	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	88.9°	182°	Taurus	19:58	02:35	09:12	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	27.1°	258°	Pisces	16:33	22:34	04:35	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

RISES15:58

BEST TIME22:08S · 69° high

SETS04:23

Reaches about 69° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:40

BEST TIME08:05S · 82° high

SETS14:31

Reaches about 82° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:00

BEST TIME23:04S · 69° high

SETS05:08

Reaches about 69° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:35

BEST TIME12:06S · 50° high

SETS17:43

Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:00

BEST TIME07:32S · 86° high

SETS14:04

Reaches about 86° 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.