OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

54.12°N, 31.09°EEurope/Minsk

Deep Astronomical Night-21.5° (< −18°)

20:06:21

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 3m of true darkness · 14h 0m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:40

Civil Dusk18:16

Nautical18:58

Full Dark19:39

Nadir00:40

Dark Ends05:41

Nautical06:22

Civil Dawn07:04

Sunrise07:40

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE28.4°

DISTANCE380,175 km

Moonrise16:27

Moonset05:16

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX44% · 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	-27.7°	278°	Libra	08:19	12:34	16:51	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-20.8°	354°	Leo	01:02	08:31	15:58	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	23.3°	123°	Pisces	17:16	23:26	05:37	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-17.4°	3°	Cancer	00:05	07:55	15:47	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-17.5°	259°	Libra	10:02	13:58	17:55	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	9.6°	67°	Taurus	18:46	02:58	11:13	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	25.1°	131°	Pisces	16:56	22:57	04:57	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

RISES16:27

BEST TIME22:42S · 38° high

SETS05:16

Reaches about 38° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:02

BEST TIME08:31S · 50° high

SETS15:58

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

RISES17:16

BEST TIME23:26S · 37° high

SETS05:37

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

RISES08:19

BEST TIME12:34S · 18° high

SETS16:51

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

RISES00:05

BEST TIME07:55S · 54° high

SETS15:47

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.