OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

54.51°N, 26.19°EEurope/Minsk

Astronomical Twilight-16.7° (−12° to −18°)

19:53:23

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

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

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:58

Civil Dusk18:35

Nautical19:17

Full Dark19:58

Nadir01:00

Dark Ends06:00

Nautical06:42

Civil Dawn07:24

Sunrise08:01

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE24.6°

DISTANCE380,224 km

Moonrise16:46

Moonset05:37

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX38% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

68/100

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	-22.9°	271°	Libra	08:40	12:54	17:09	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-19.5°	345°	Leo	01:20	08:51	16:19	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	18.9°	116°	Pisces	17:35	23:46	05:57	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-16.9°	354°	Cancer	00:23	08:16	16:08	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-13.0°	253°	Libra	10:23	14:18	18:12	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	5.5°	61°	Taurus	19:03	03:17	11:35	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	21.1°	124°	Pisces	17:16	23:16	05:17	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

RISES16:46

BEST TIME23:02S · 37° high

SETS05:37

Reaches about 37° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:20

BEST TIME08:51S · 50° high

SETS16:19

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

RISES17:35

BEST TIME23:46S · 37° high

SETS05:57

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

RISES08:40

BEST TIME12:54S · 17° high

SETS17:09

Only reaches about 17° 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 TIME08:16S · 54° high

SETS16:08

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.