Observed phenomena: Lunar eclipse
Type of eclipse: Partial Lunar eclipse
Type of observation: Positive
Date and time: 25.4.2013, 22:35-00:10
Observing place: Turku (I District, Kerttulinmäki), Finland
Observing conditions: Clear sky
Observing instruments: Camera: Canon EOS 1100D, Telescope: L80/400mm (3” refractor)

Before this partial lunar eclipse, there had been four lunar eclipses that I couldn’t observe because of cloudy sky or otherwise poor observing conditions, but this time I was finally lucky, and I managed to observe the partial lunar eclipse of April 2013!

This eclipse was only a shallow one, the Moon didn’t dive very deep in the shadow of Earth. Only a slight segment of the upper edge of the Moon was in the umbra during the maximum eclipse. But before and after the umbral -phase of the eclipse, the penumbra was visible on the upper edge of the Moon. The penumbra wasn’t very dark, but it was still visible.

Lunar eclipse @ 22:48, just before Moon enters umbra

Lunar eclipse @ 23:08, maximum eclipse

Lunar eclipse @ 23:35, just after the Moon had exited the umbra

Observed phenomena: Halo phenomena
Light source: Sun
Origin: High clouds (cirrostratus)
Observed halo forms:

• 22° halo
• Upper tangent arc
• Parhelia
• Parhelic circle
• Circumzenithal arc
• Upper suncave Parry arc

Date: 20.3.2013
Time: 13:00-15:00
Observing place: Turku (Uittamo), Finland
Observing method: Photography
Technical information about photographing equipment: Camera: Canon EOS 1100D, lens: Canon EF-S 18-55mm IS, Samyang 8mm fish eye

Description: I was lucky to observe a nice halo display in the sky of Turku in 20th of March 2013. In this display, many halo forms were present, but the most delightful of them was a relatively rare  Upper suncave Parry arc. This was the second time in my life to observe this halo form!

Observed phenomena: Aurora borealis
Date: 17./18.3.2013
Time: 13:00-15:00
Observing place: Turku (Luolavuori), Finland
Observing method: Photography
Technical information about photographing equipment: Camera: Canon EOS 1100D, lens: Canon EF-S 18-55mm IS, Samyang 8mm fish eye
Observing conditions: Clear sky, 32% Moon in southern sky, light pollution

Description: this time we decided to go to observe the comet PanSTARRS with Linda to the top of Luolavuori -hill (height 65m/213ft) in southern Turku. The hill is situated in the sub-urban area, and thus the sky is light-polluted. The positive thing about this place is the fact, that the horizon is totally open to all directions from top of the hill! The downside of this is, that you have to carry your observing equipment all the way to the top of the hill..

This is a new place to me, and I haven’t been making any observing here before. It means, that there are no marker points in the horizon to help me to locate the comet, but I was finally able to find the comet about 20:00. Also some other people had gathered to the site to observe the comet. They were only casual skygazers, and they seemed to have no idea, about how/where to locate the comet. I started to look for the comet, and when I found it, I showed the comet to those people! They were really happy to see the comet!

I also took some photos of the comet with my Canon EOS 1100D and Canon EF-S 18-55mm IS. This time I didn’t have time to make a proper observation about the comet, because of the intensive aurora storm and because of the public nature of this observing session.

About the same time than I was looking for the comet, bright aurora borealis started to flame around the sky! The aurora display started very quickly to become an aurora display of really great magnitude! I haven’t observed an aurora display like this in southern Finland since year 2003! In this display, all imaginable colours of the aurora were present, and especially red and blue were really intensive! We watched and photographed this wonderful natural display at least for an hour before going home..

Aurora borealis 17.3.2013

Comet PanSTARRS 17.3.2013

Date: 15./16.3.2013
Time: 19:00-21:00
Observing site: Stormälö, Parainen, Finland
Instrument: L102/1000mm (4” Refractor), Canon EOS 1100D, lens: Canon EF-S 18-55mm IS

NELM: 6,0
SQM: 20,44
Darkness of the background sky: 3
Seeing: 2
Transparency: 2
Weather: Clear sky, -15 °C, calm, light sky (nautical twilight)

Objects observed: Comet C/2011 L4 (PanSTARRS) (visual, sketching, photography)

Also this time I started the engine of my car and headed to my observing site in Parainen, where this time I set up my telescope (L102/1000mm) to observe the comet! This time I found the comet at 19:28. The comet became visible with naked eye at 19:39. The comet disappeared behind the trees in horizon at 20:02. This time the time window for observing the comet was much longer, about 30 minutes!

This time I photographed the comet with Canon EOS 1100D through 102/1000mm refractor and with Canon EF-S 18-55mm IS -lens. Besides this, I made also a sketch of the comet.

With my 102/1000mm refractor, the coma of the comet appears to be very condensed, but not totally starlike. The tail of the comet appears to be rather long, the length of the tail is about 30′ (visually). The PA of the tail is roughly 50°. The sky was still pretty light during the observation (nautical twilight).

Comet C/2011 L4 (PanSTARRS) observed with 4” Refractor at 2013/03/15

Comet PanSTARRS 15.3.2013

Comet PanSTARRS 15.3.2013

Comet PanSTARRS 15.3.2013

Comet PanSTARRS 15.3.2013

Date: 14./15.3.3.2013
Time: 18:55-19:35
Observing site: Stormälö, Parainen, Finland
Instrument: 7×18 binoculars

NELM: -
SQM: -
Darkness of the background sky: 5
Seeing: 3
Transparency: 2
Weather: Clear sky, -15 °C, calm, light sky (nautical twilight)

Objects observed: Comet C/2011 L4 (PanSTARRS) (visual, sketching)

Comet C/2011 L4 (PanSTARRS) is now visible also here in the high latitudes! In the evening of 14th of March, I went to my observing site in Parainen to observe the comet. I arrived at the site at 18:45 and started to browse the sky with my binoculars. I had no idea, where the comet would exactly be. After looking it for a while, I eventually found it at 19:36. At 19:42 I saw it also with naked eye! The comet disappeared behind the horizon at 19:53.

This was my very first time to observe this comet! When I found the comet, it was already at very low altitude close to horizon. This time the time window for observing the comet was very short, only 17 minutes before it disappeared below the trees in horizon. This time I observed the comet with my small 7×18 binoculars. With binoculars, I was able to see the star-like coma of the comet and a little bit of the tail. The tail is pointing approximately to PA 50°, and the length of the tail is visually ~20′. I was also able to see the comet as a faint “star” with naked eye.

The sky was still very light during my observation and the comet was at really low altitude, which made observing difficult. But the situation should get better later this month, when the comet is rising higher and it is visible for longer time.

Comet PanSTARRS observed with 7×18 binoculars

Observed phenomena: Zodiacal light
Date: 10./11.3.2013
Time: 21:00-23:20
Observing place: Stormälö, Parainen, Finland
Observing method: Photography
Technical information about photographing equipment: Camera: Canon EOS 1100D, lens: Samyang 8mm fish eye

Description: during a deep sky -observing session, I was able to observe the zodiacal light again, but this time I was better equipped! I had a camera and tripod with me, and I was able to photograph the phenomena this time!

Also this time the light was visible in the NW sky as a faint, southwards tilted, diffuse glow of light that was following the line of the ecliptic. The light was best visible with averted vision and sweeping. The phenomena and observing conditions were similar than last time.

Zodiacal light 10th of March 2013

Zodiacal light 10th of March 2013

Date: 10./11.3.2013
Time: 21:00-23:20
Observing site: Stormälö, Parainen, Finland
Instrument: L102/1000mm (4” Refractor)

NELM: 6,0
SQM: 20,91
Darkness of the background sky: 3
Seeing: 2
Transparency: 2
Weather: Clear sky, -19 °C, calm, snow on the ground, no Moon, no aurora, zodiacal light visible in NW sky

Objects observed: Messier 3 (visual, sketching)

This was my second trip to my observing place in Parainen now in March 2013! Also this time the zodiacal light was visible, and this time I was also able to photograph this phenomena! Also now the zodiacal light was visible in the NW sky as a faint, southwards tilted, diffuse glow of light that was following the line of the ecliptic. And just like last time, it was best visible with averted vision and sweeping. Winter Milky way was somewhat visible, and the conditions were pretty much the same than last time two nights ago.

Zodiacal light 10th of March 2013

Zodiacal light 10th of March 2013

Besides photographing this light scattered by interplanetary dust, I made also one deep sky -sketch. This time I observed Messier 3, a globular cluster in Canes Venatici. I made the observation with my 102/1000mm refractor (4” refractor).

Messier 3: with 102/1000mm refractor @67x this cluster appeared as a bright, round nebula. The brightness of the cluster increases inwards, and it seems to be well condensed and concentrated towards the center. The cluster is clearly granulated, and some individual stars can be resolved. @133x several individual stars can be seen.

Messier 3 observed with 4” Refractor