Now on the Sky

M31 details 22nd of September 2025

Below is a collection of detailed images of M31 Andromeda galaxy.

Also Fireworks galaxy NGC 6946 was imaged. Celestron 11 F6.3 focal reducer and camera Canon Eos 60Da. Exposures 20x2min, Iso1600.

Deep sky season opening, August 2025

Now the sky is dark enough after summer season in Finland.  Below is andromeda galaxy M31 with SkyWatcher 80/600ED telescope. Exposures 22 x 5 minutes, Iso 800. Camera Canon Eos 80Da. For some reason the street lights in our sub-urban areas in Kirkkonummi have been turned off. There is now much less light pollution, and the results of astro images is much better.

North-America nebula NGC 7000 and Pelican nebula IC 5070 25th of August 2025.  Used 250mm telezoom lens with Canon Eos 80Da. Exposures 14 x 2 minutes, Iso 800.

Butterfly nebula IC 1318 aound star Sadr of Cygnus 25th of August 2025.  Used 250mm telezoom lens with Canon Eos 80Da. Exposures 13 x 2 minutes, Iso 800.

Sunspots 26th of August 2025

Rather large sunspots at the edge of the Sun.

Barnard's Star 20th of August 2025

Movement of Barnard's star during 2017-2025. Barnard's star is a red dwarf in constellation of Ophiuchus. It is the second closest star to us after Alpha Centauri triple star. The mass is 14% of the Sun mass and diameter 20% of Sun. The surface temperature is 3100 degrees and its luminosity is 0.0004 times the brightness of the Sun. Barnard’s star is moving in the sky fast, 10 arch seconds each year. It is moving 142 km/s relative to Sun and it will be closest to us year 11800. Then distance will be 3.75 light years. But even then it is so faint that it cannot be seen with naked eye. The age is 10 billion years, over twice the age of our Sun. Year 1998 there was a bright flare eruption in Barnard’s star. 

The Sun 7th of August 2025

The Sun and sunspot groups AR 4165 and 4168. Telescopes Celestron 11 and 8. Camera Canon Eos 60Da. Took 2 minute HD videos and stacked 2 percent of best frames.

Saturn 31st of July 2025

Saturn in the morning sky 03:39 local time in Finland. It was 24 degrees above horizon. The summer sky at night is still very light. Telescope Celestron 11 F10, with 20mm eyepiece magnification. I took 4 minute 640x480 crop video and stacked 4% of frames with Autostakkert3. Camera Canon Eos 60Da.

Galaxy Messier 51,  25th of April 2025

Below galaxy M51 in constellation of Canes Venatici. Distance 31 million light years. Here the smaller galaxy has done close passing of the larger galaxy. Image on left has 40 times 2 minutes exposures in the stack. Image on right has best 32 of them in stack. Telescope Celestron 11 with F6.3 focal length reducer.

Galaxy Messier 101,  15th of April 2025

End of astrophotography season. Now the summer night sky starts to be too light. Target was galaxy Messier 101, distance 21 million light years. Total exposure time was 1 hour and 20 minutes, with Celestron 8 F6.3.

Sunspot group AR4048

Development of sunspot group AR4048 in 6 days in a row, 3rd - 8th of April 2025.

Partial solar eclipse 29th of March 2029

Eclipse imaged in Kirkkonummi, Finland. At maximum 28 % of the Sun was eclipsed.

Galaxies in Virgo and Leo 26th of March and 1st of April 2025

Galaxies M66, M65 and NGC 3628 form a galaxy group called the Leo Triplet. Distance 35 million light years.

Below is the Virgo Galaxy cluster. Distance 54 million light years. There is about 1000-2000 galaxies in this cluster. In sky they are in area of several angular degrees. This is the closest cluster to us and actually our Milky Way galaxy and nearby galaxies belong to the Virgo super cluster.

Galaxies around M86.

The Margarian galaxy chain around M86.

Northern lights in Oulu 22nd of March 2025

Bright northern light which could be seen in Oulu City center. Images by Hannes Rabb.

Galaxies 21st - 23rd of March 2025

Galaxies imaged in good conditions during 3 nights in a row. No moon and no show on the ground. Galaxy Messier 51 in Ursa Major, distance 31 million light years. Galaxy Messier 106 in Canes Venatici, distance 23 million light years. Galaxy NGC 3628 in Leo, distance 35 million light years. Telescope Celestron 11 with F6.3 focal reducer.

Galaxy Messier 81, distance 12 million light years. Galaxy M63 Sunflower, distance 29 million light years. Blackeye galaxy M64, distance 17 million light years. M66, distance 31 million light years.

Galaxies 23rd of March.

Venus, Jupiter and Mare Crisium 3rd of March 2025

Below is Venus in January-March 2025 as it approaches the Earth. Image 16th of March is taken from mid-day sky.

Jupiter 

Mare Crisium on the Moon.

Terminator area of the Moon 8th of March 2025.

Northern lights 15th of February 2025

Northern lights in Finland, Oulu - Nallikari 15th of February 2025. 

Animated gif of images taken during 18:55 - 19:00 local time. Exposures are 5 seconds.

Planet Mars in January and February and the rotation of Mars in 2 hours.

Mars meeting Moon 9th of February 2025

Image sequence taken in Kirkkonummi, Finland. The visual size of Mars was 12.9 arch seconds and distance 0.73 Astronomical Units and magnitude -0.82. The phase of the moon was 92% and visual size 31.6 arch minutes. To 3 frames I have indicated the time with one second accuracy. Before imaging session I set the clock of the camera according to my mobile phone time, which is taken from mobile network. I verified that the time is the same in 3 sources: in mobile phone, in time signal from radio and in text TV page of the digital TV broadcast. They were same withing 1 second accuracy.

Copernicus crater and Mars 7th of February 2025

Below is Copernicus crater as a mosaic of 16 video stacks. Moon was high up and atmospheric turbulence low, so the end result became nice. Telescope Celestron 11 and camera Canon Eos60Da.

Polar Stratospheric Clouds 16-18th of January 2025

Colorfull polar stratospheric clouds (pearl clouds) in Vaasa and Oulu in Finland. These clouds are in 15-25 kilometers height, and temperature there is below -78 C.  They are best seen, when the Sun is between 1 and 6 degrees below the horizon,  They are composed of supercooled droplets of water and nitric acid.  Other type of pearl clouds consists only of ice crystals.  Images were taken by Tiina Rabb in Vaasa and Hannes Rabb in Oulu.

Saturn 18th of January 2025

Saturn and its 6 largest moons 16th and 18th of January 2025. Images taken with Celestron 11 telescope in Kirkkonummi. In bottom row are the moons with NASA Cassini spacecraft.

Uranus 12th of January 2025

Uranus has distinct light blue color visible in image below. Also the four largest moons of Uranus, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania and Oberon, are visible. Image on left is a 2 minute video stack, with best 15% of frames stacked. Image on middle is a image stack 3 x 15 seconds, Iso6400.

Jupiter and Moon 10-12th of December 2024

Both Jupiter and the Moon were nicely visible high up in sky in evening. Images are videostacks. Below Jupiter with Red Spot.

Below some craters of the Moon: Gassendi, Aristarchos, Plato, Clavius and Copernicus. Images are mosaics of 640x480 crop video stacks.

Pegasus galaxy clusters 3rd of December 2024

Below is four distant galaxy clusters in constellation of Pegasus.
Abell 2634. Distance 405 million light years. Receding 9360 km/s.
Abell 2666. Distance 344 million light years. Receding 7950 km/s.
Pegasus I. Distance 180 million light years.
Pegasus II. Distance 600 million light years.

Telescope used was Celestron 11, F10 Focus. Camera Canon Eos 80Da. 

Galaxies 2nd of November 2024

The distance of NGC 6946 Fireworks galaxy is 25 million light years. This galaxy has often supernovas. Galaxy NGC 7331 is in constellation of  Pegasus. Distance 40 million light years.

Comet Thuchinshan-ATLAS C/2023 A3

Comet imaged in Kirkkonummi, Finland 15th of September 2024. When images were taken the distance to Earth was 73 million kilometers. The length of the tail in sky is about 15 degrees in the image. That is at least 19 million kilometers in distance of the comet.

Bode galaxies M81 and M82 12th of October 2024

The Bode galaxies M81 and M82 are a beautiful pair close to each other in constellation of Ursa Major. Distance 12 million light years. There was 70% Moon on the sky while taking these images.

Astro imaging 3rd of October 2024

Another excellent condition night behind. No moon and dark autumn sky.  Below is galaxy M33 in constellation of Triangulum. M33 has very clear spiral arms.  Distance is 3 million light years. Telescope Celestron 11 F10, Camera Canon Eos 80Da, Exposures 27x60 seconds, Iso 3200.

Planetary nebulas M57 in Lyra and M76 in Perseus. Distance of M57 is 2300 light years. In center of the nebula there is a  white dwarf star. It is what is left from a star, which blow out its outer parts to space at end  of its life. The red color comes from ionized hydrogen gas. The greenish colors come from oxygen.  Distance of M76, the Little Dumbbel, is 2500 light years.

Galaxy cluster Abell 426 in constellation of Perseus. Distance is 273 million light years, so the light started its journey to us when the dinosaurs began  their era in Earth. 

Astro imaging 29th - 30th of September

There was excellent conditions for deep sky imaging in end of September. No moon, and clear atmosphere.  Here some results. 

Below is the center area of great Orion nebula Messier 42.  On left exposures 10x60 seconds and on right 5 x 15 seconds, Iso 3200.  Distance to M42 is 1300 light years. There has born about 2000 new stars in area of Orion Nebula.  From sharp pictures of Hubble Space telescope it is possible to see several proto planetary discs  around the new stars. So here new planets and solar systems are born. 

Below is the globular cluster Messier 13 in constellation of Hercules. Distance is 25000 light years.  This cluster has one million stars. Our galaxy has about 100-200 these kind of globular clusters.  These clusters are very old. They were born at same time as our galaxy, about 10 billion years ago.

Below is distant galaxy cluster Pegasus II, distance 600 million light years. So the light that we now see from it started its journey 600 million years ago, and actually in this image we see 600 million years back in time.

On left M27 Dumbbel nebula in constellation of Fox. Distance 1250 light years. In the center of this  nebula there is also a white dwarf star. 

On right supernova remnant Messier 1, Crab nebula, in constellation of Taurus. Distance 6300 light years. Angular size in sky 6 arch minutes (one fifth of angular size of Moon). Real size is 11 light years.  This exploded as supernova year 1054. The extremely bright star was written to history books by Arabs,  Chinese and Japanese. Visually it was four times brighter than Venus-planet and it could be easily seen even during the daytime. In the core of Crab nebula there is now a neutron star, spinning  around its axis 30 times per second. It is strong roentgen and gamma ray source. 

Navi and the Ghost 5th of September 2024

IC 63 Ghost of Cassiopeia is close to the star Navi, the middle star of W shape Cassiopeia constellation. It is a star formation region at distance of 550 light years. Also Navi is at same distance. The mass of Navi is 17 times the mass of our Sun. Navi is actually a complex system of 8 stars. 

The Moon in the morning 26th of August 2024

The Moon in the morning, phase 53 percent. Images taken with Celestron 11 telescope. Both images are mosaics of 3-4 images.

Veil nebula 15th of August 2024

Opened astrophotography autumn season. Now the sky is dark enough again after summer of Finland. Target was West part of Veil nebula, Caldwell 34. It is a supernova remnant of a star which exploded 6000 years ago. Telescope TS Photon 200/800, camera Canon Eos 80Da. Exposures 16 x 100s, Iso800. In image below is also east part of Veil nebula images with same equipment 16th of October 2023.

Northern lights 13th of August 2024

There was good show of auroras in sky of Kirkkonummi, while observing Perseid meteor shower. 

Aurora as animated gif.

Sunspot group AR3780, August 2024

There is large sunspot group AR 3780 visible in the Sun. Below is development in 2 days.

Saturn and the Moon 27th of July 2024

The summer time in latitudes of Finland is ligth also in the nigth. But the planet Saturn was possible to observe. It was 21 degrees above the horizon in 3 a clock in morning, local time. Also the  following moons of Saturn were visible in 2 second exposure: Titan, Rhea, Tethys and Enceladus. The image on the left is 1 minute 640x480 crop video, with best 10% of frames stacked with Autostakkert3.

Also the Moon was visible, phase 63%. Below is the volcanic Hyginus area.

Sunspots 20th of June 2024

Large sunspot groups 3713 and 3712. Images taken with Celestron 11 telescope. Stacked best 2% of 90 second HD videos.

Lightning over Turku 1st of June 2024

A lot of lightning over city of Turku in Finland, 1st of June 2024, 16:50 local time. I took HD video of the storm and extracted frames, where the lightning was visible.

Moon 11th of May 2024

Images of the Moon with Celestron 11 telescope. Phase of the Moon was 16%. Mare Crisium details are well seen. Also the straight rim inside Petavius crater is visible.

Messier 13 with Celestron 11, 1st of May 2024

I ordered a new Celestron 11 telescope from Telescope Service, Ransburg. It arrived 30th of April, and at same coming nigth the weather was going to be cloudless. First test target was globular cluster Messier 13. The image below was taken 1 a clock in 1st of May. Camera Canon Eos 80Da, exposures 7x3 minutes, Iso800. The result is my best of M13 so far. 

T Corona Borealis 28th of March 2024, next Nova?

T Corona Borealis, which erupted as nova year 1946, then with visual magnitude 2. Now its magnitude is 10.05. New eruption is waited in coming years. In this system a white dwarf star is orbiting a red giant star. Matter from red giant is streaming to surface of the white dwarf. When enough matter has come on surface of white dwarf, there starts a rapid fusion process, causing massive explosion.

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks 17th of March 2024. 

It takes 71.3 years for Comet Pons-Brooks to go round the Sun. It was found year 1812. Distance from Earth was 244 million kilometers, when image was taken. The largest distance from the Sun is 33 Astronomical Units (AU), ans shortest 0.77 AU. It is closest to the Sun 24th of April 2024. When taking image below the Pons-Brooks was in constellation of Andromeda, with visual magnitude 5.1. Telescopes used was TS Photon 200/800. Camera Canon Eos 80Da. Images were taken in Siuntio, Finland. The comet images were stacked with Deep Sky Stacker, comet stacking mode, where comet is centered and stars become trails. Heavy wind caused 70% of the frames lost. 

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks 12th of March 2024. 

Distance of comet Pons-Brooks from Earth was 246 million kilometers, when image was taken. When taking images below the Pons-Brooks was in constellation of Andromeda, with visual magnitude 5.6. Telescopes used were SkyWatcher 80/600ED and Canon EF100-400 telezoom set to 400mm.Camera Canon Eos 80Da. Images were taken in Siuntio, Finland. The comet images were stacked with Deep Sky Stacker, comet stacking mode, where comet is centered and stars become trails.

Cone nebula, March 2024

NGC 2264 Cone nebula, with Christmas-tree star cluster. Distance 2300 light years. Images taken 5th and 6th of March with 2 different optical setups.

Rosette nebula 4th of March 2024

NGC2237 Rosette nebula in constellation of Monoceros. Distance 5200 light years. Angular size in  the sky is 1.3 degrees. Mass 10000 times mass of the Sun. The bright stars in the middle have born  from this nebula. Picture taken 4th of March 2024 with TS Photon 200/800 telescope with Baader UHC-S filter. Picture is stack of 12 x 4 minutes exposures, ISO800. Stacked with Deep Sky Stacker software. Camera Canon Eos 80D, astro modified.

Moon 20th of January 2024

The Moon 20th of January 2024. Distance when taking the image: 380000 kilometers and phase 76% illuminated. The diameter of the Moon is 3474 kilometers. The mean distance is 384000 kilometers, varying between 357000-406000 kilometers.  Mass is only 1,2 percent of Earth mass. 

On top right in center of the image is Tycho crater, diameter 85 km and depth 4.6 km. It is young, only 108 million years old. There goes rays from the Tycho crater around the moon, even to 1500 kilometers distance.  On bottom right is Copernicus crater, diameter of Copernicus crater is 96 kilometers and it is 3.8 kilometers deep.  It was born 800 million years ago.  Telescope Celestron 8 and Camera Canon Eos60Da. Image on left is a stack of 20 jpeg-images, stacked with Autostakkert3 software. Images on the right are video stacks, best 3% of 2 minute HD videos stacked with Autostakkert3.

Veil nebula 16th of October 2023

East part of Veil nebula Caldwell 33(NGC6992) in constellation of Cygnus. It is a supernova remnant which exploded about 6000 years ago.  Distance 1470 light years. This nebula was found by William Herschel year 1784.   Telescope used TS Photon 200/800 and camera Canon EOS 80Da.  Exposures 12 x 100 seconds ISO800.

Astro imaging 13th of October 2023

Astro imaging session in the morning 3 to 6 a clock in local time in Finland. Telescope used TS Photon 200/800 and camera Canon EOS 80Da.  Below is NGC 1973 Running man nebula, M43 ja M42 in constellation of Orion. Exposures 14 x 100 seconds ISO800. Distance to M42 is 1300 light years. There has born about 2000 new stars in area of Orion Nebula.

Open star cluster M45 Pleiades. Distance 440 light years.  Stack 20 x 100 seconds, ISO 800. 

Horsehead nebula Barnard 33 and Flame nebula NGC 2024 in the constellation of Orion. Distance to Horsehead nebula is 1500 light years. Distance to Flame nebula is  1200 light years. Exposures 19 x 100 seconds, Iso 800.

Imaging session 8th of October 2023

Images taken in Kirkkonummi Finland with telescope TS Photon 200 F4 and camera Canon EOS 80Da.  Below NGC 281 Packman nebula in constellation of Cassiopeia. Distance 9460 ligth years.  Stack 20 x 100 seconds, ISO 800.

Double star cluster NGC 884 and NGC 869 in constellation of Perseus. Distance 6800 light years.   Image taken 15.3.2023. Stack 8 x 100 seconds, ISO 800.

Heart nebula IC 1805 in constellation of Cassiopeia, distance 7500 light years. Size in sky 2.5 degrees. Close to it is Soul nebula.  Stack 20 x 100 seconds, ISO 800.

Elephants Truck nebula IC 1396 in constellation of Kefeus, distance 2400 light years.  TS Photon 200 F4 Canon EOS 80Da. 

Galaxies M31 and M33, September 24th 2023

Details of Andromeda galaxy M31  24th of September 2023. M31 is closest large galaxy to Milky Way and its distance is 2.5 million light years. Galaxy is a system of hundreds of billions of stars. Most galaxies have spiral arms. So does our home galaxy Milky Way. Some galaxies have elliptic or irregular shape. Telescope TS Photon 200/800 with coma corrector and camera Canon Eos 80Da. Exposures 17 x 100 seconds, Iso 800.

Galaxy M33  in Triangulum imaged at  Kirkkonummi 24th of September 2023. M33 has very clear spiral arms. Distance 3 million light years. Telescope TS Photon 200/800 with coma corrector and camera Canon Eos 80Da. Exposures 28 x 100 seconds, Iso 800.

Cygnus Wall, September 2023

On 6th of September 2023 the targets were the Cygnus Wall part of the North-America nebula NGC 7000 and Andromeda Galaxy Messier 31. Telescope used was TS Photon 200 F4 with coma corrector and camera Canon Eos 80Da.

The Cygnus Wall area of North-America nebula NGC7000  in the constellation of Cygnus. Distance 1600 light years. Ionized hydrogen glows in red color.   Exposures 20x100sec, Iso 800.

Astronomy presentation 17th of January 2023 in Kirkkonummi

I gave a public astronomy and particle physics presentation in Kirkkonummi 17th of January 2023. Location was the Fyyri library, Mörne hall. Presentation was in finnish with title  "Kuinka kauas voin nähdä kotipihaltani ja hiukkasen fysiikkaa". Translation of title:  "How far can I see from my home backyard.. and a little particle physics". The event was arranged by local astronomy association Kirkkonummen Komeetta. The particle physics part handled events at CERN in summer  1989 when first Z0 particle was detected in Delphi detector of LEP-collider. Event was very nice. Thanks for all partisipants.