OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

54.27°N, 27.11°EEurope/Minsk

Deep Astronomical Night-22.4° (< −18°)

20:29:03

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 2m of true darkness · 14h 1m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:55

Civil Dusk18:32

Nautical19:13

Full Dark19:55

Nadir00:56

Dark Ends05:57

Nautical06:38

Civil Dawn07:20

Sunrise07:56

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE29.0°

DISTANCE380,090 km

Moonrise16:43

Moonset05:33

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX45% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

76/100

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 Europe/Minsk

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-28.6°	280°	Libra	08:35	12:50	17:06	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-20.7°	356°	Leo	01:17	08:47	16:14	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	24.0°	125°	Pisces	17:32	23:42	05:53	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-17.2°	4°	Cancer	00:20	08:11	16:03	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-18.6°	260°	Libra	10:18	14:14	18:10	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	10.6°	68°	Taurus	19:01	03:14	11:30	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	25.8°	133°	Pisces	17:12	23:13	05:13	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

RISES16:43

BEST TIME22:58S · 37° high

SETS05:33

Reaches about 37° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:17

BEST TIME08:47S · 50° high

SETS16:14

Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES17:32

BEST TIME23:42S · 37° high

SETS05:53

Reaches about 37° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Low in the sky

RISES08:35

BEST TIME12:50S · 18° high

SETS17:06

Only reaches about 18° above the horizon. An open view is important.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:20

BEST TIME08:11S · 54° high

SETS16:03

Reaches about 54° 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.