The night sky on the night of the end of the Soviet Union — 25 December 1991

On 25 December 1991 Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as President of the USSR in a televised address. That evening the red Soviet flag was lowered over the Moscow Kremlin for the last time and replaced by the Russian tricolour. The Soviet Union formally ceased to exist the next day.

The sky over the Kremlin, Moscow, Russia

This is the real sky above the Kremlin, Moscow, Russia (55.75°N, 37.62°E) on 25 December 1991 at 19:32 MSK (UTC+3) — the lowering of the Soviet flag (1991-12-25 16:32 UTC). The Sun was 28° below the horizon: it was full night. The Moon (waning gibbous, 76% lit) was below the horizon. No bright planet was above the horizon. Brightest named stars up: Vega, Capella, Rigel, Betelgeuse and Altair.

Star map of the sky over the Kremlin, Moscow, Russia on 25 December 1991 at 19:32 VegaCapellaRigelBetelgeuseAltairAldebaranPolluxDeneb NSEW
780 stars brighter than magnitude 5 above the horizon, with the constellation figures. Look up: north at the top, east on the left.

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Want this night on your wall? Make a print-ready A3 star-chart poster of 25 December 1991 — 4.99.

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