OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

30.23°N, 116.35°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-51.4° (< −18°)

02:23:33

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 6m of true darkness · 12h 47m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:35

Civil Dusk18:00

Nautical18:28

Full Dark18:56

Nadir23:59

Dark Ends05:02

Nautical05:30

Civil Dawn05:58

Sunrise06:22

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE20.6°

DISTANCE379,886 km

Moonrise15:41

Moonset04:07

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX33% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

80/100

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	-53.2°	79°	Libra	06:31	11:49	17:12	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	14.6°	82°	Leo	01:12	07:48	14:27	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	31.1°	251°	Pisces	16:42	22:46	04:51	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	23.4°	82°	Cancer	00:28	07:14	14:00	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-72.2°	62°	Libra	08:04	13:14	18:28	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	80.7°	188°	Taurus	19:24	02:18	09:11	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	23.9°	255°	Pisces	16:16	22:17	04:17	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

RISES15:41

BEST TIME21:50S · 60° high

SETS04:07

Reaches about 60° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:12

BEST TIME07:48S · 74° high

SETS14:27

Reaches about 74° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:42

BEST TIME22:46S · 61° high

SETS04:51

Reaches about 61° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:31

BEST TIME11:49S · 42° high

SETS17:12

Reaches about 42° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:28

BEST TIME07:14S · 78° high

SETS14:00

Reaches about 78° 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.