OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

54.01°N, 27.89°EEurope/Minsk

Deep Astronomical Night-21.2° (< −18°)

20:16:47

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

Sunset17:53

Civil Dusk18:29

Nautical19:10

Full Dark19:51

Nadir00:53

Dark Ends05:54

Nautical06:35

Civil Dawn07:16

Sunrise07:53

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE28.2°

DISTANCE380,136 km

Moonrise16:40

Moonset05:29

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	-27.3°	278°	Libra	08:31	12:47	17:04	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-20.9°	353°	Leo	01:15	08:44	16:10	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	23.0°	123°	Pisces	17:29	23:39	05:50	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-17.6°	2°	Cancer	00:18	08:08	15:59	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-17.2°	259°	Libra	10:14	14:11	18:08	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	9.2°	67°	Taurus	18:59	03:10	11:25	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	24.9°	131°	Pisces	17:09	23:10	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

RISES16:40

BEST TIME22:55S · 38° high

SETS05:29

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:15

BEST TIME08:44S · 50° high

SETS16:10

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

RISES17:29

BEST TIME23:39S · 37° high

SETS05:50

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

RISES08:31

BEST TIME12:47S · 18° high

SETS17:04

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

RISES00:18

BEST TIME08:08S · 54° high

SETS15:59

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.