OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

46.74°N, 131.81°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-43.5° (< −18°)

01:19:20

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 7m of true darkness · 13h 30m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset16:12

Civil Dusk16:43

Nautical17:18

Full Dark17:53

Nadir22:57

Dark Ends04:01

Nautical04:36

Civil Dawn05:11

Sunrise05:42

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE16.6°

DISTANCE380,126 km

Moonrise14:40

Moonset03:06

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX26% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

83/100

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	-47.7°	60°	Libra	06:05	10:47	15:34	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	15.9°	86°	Leo	23:40	06:46	13:55	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	25.1°	243°	Pisces	15:36	21:45	03:53	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	24.2°	89°	Cancer	22:49	06:12	13:38	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-60.9°	32°	Libra	07:45	12:13	16:43	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	64.2°	182°	Taurus	17:37	01:16	08:55	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	19.1°	248°	Pisces	15:14	21:15	03:16	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 · Good height

RISES14:40

BEST TIME20:46S · 43° high

SETS03:06

Reaches about 43° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES23:40

BEST TIME06:46S · 58° high

SETS13:55

Reaches about 58° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES15:36

BEST TIME21:45S · 45° high

SETS03:53

Reaches about 45° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:05

BEST TIME10:47S · 25° high

SETS15:34

Reaches about 25° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES22:49

BEST TIME06:12S · 61° high

SETS13:38

Reaches about 61° 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.