OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

52.79°N, 28.02°EEurope/Minsk

Deep Astronomical Night-31.9° (< −18°)

21:29:12

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 4m of true darkness · 13h 54m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:55

Civil Dusk18:30

Nautical19:10

Full Dark19:50

Nadir00:52

Dark Ends05:54

Nautical06:34

Civil Dawn07:14

Sunrise07:49

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE35.7°

DISTANCE379,865 km

Moonrise16:39

Moonset05:28

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX54% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

73/100

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	-38.2°	293°	Libra	08:18	12:47	17:08	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-21.6°	12°	Leo	01:18	08:40	16:06	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	32.0°	141°	Pisces	17:29	23:39	05:49	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-16.7°	20°	Cancer	00:23	08:07	15:53	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-28.0°	272°	Libra	10:08	14:10	18:13	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	19.3°	80°	Taurus	19:05	03:10	11:19	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	32.8°	150°	Pisces	17:08	23:09	05:10	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

RISES16:39

BEST TIME22:54S · 39° high

SETS05:28

Reaches about 39° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:18

BEST TIME08:40S · 52° high

SETS16:06

Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES17:29

BEST TIME23:39S · 39° high

SETS05:49

Reaches about 39° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Low in the sky

RISES08:18

BEST TIME12:47S · 19° high

SETS17:08

Only reaches about 19° above the horizon. An open view is important.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:23

BEST TIME08:07S · 55° high

SETS15:53

Reaches about 55° 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.