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Impressive mother of pearl clouds in Enontekiö

18.1. The second PSC period of the winter began on Sunday, reports of clouds have come from Juva to Utsjoki. The picture below is from the finest show that Merja Paakkanen watched in Enontekiö on Monday. The first period took place a month ago on 15-17 December. Additionally, a single occurrence of PSC's was photographed on 23 December.

The PSC's of the last days »

The best northern lights play in the winter brought even dunes

14.-15.1. Almost the whole of Finland experienced the northernmost play of northern lights so far. Some of the observers were able to see the rare northern lights, which provided more data to help the researchers. Congratulations to everyone who photographed the dunes. At the maximum stage of the play, the northern lights chandelier, which dominated the sky, was active and the sky was more than half covered by a fire. (Photo by Ida Andersson)

Pictorial observations 14-15.1. from the play »

Intersection of Minnaert cigar on snow

12.1. Lasse Nurminen photographed a surface 22° halo with bright lamp. Instead of the lower part of the 22° halo around the lamp, a closed loop appears on the snow. This is the cut surface of a three-dimensional 22° halo called also as Minnaert cigar, and created due to the divergent light of the lamp. Nurminen's video shows how the loop of the 22 ° halo shrinks as he walks closer to the lamp and disappears when Minnaert's cigar no longer touches the snow surface.

Nurminen's observation »

Pioneering Finnish halo statistics from 2021

11.1. Petri Martikainen took it as his task to stack all halo display he saw last year. The stacked image typically brings out halos that are invisible to the human eye and one could say it tells the "truth" of the display. Now, based on theses stacks, Martikainen has published the numbers for individual halo occuurrences. The work is first of its kind in Finland and as an unique addition, Martikainen's list comes also with a comparison to what was visible to the naked eye.

Martikainen's list »

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Newest commented observations

Active aurora band

Active aurora band

15.1.2022 at 01.45 - 05.10 - Tampere (III)
Kari A. Kuure, Tampereen Ursa

The northern lights of the morning began as a calm arc but very quickly turned into an active belt with rays. The fast-moving fires were that in some images they appear more or less diffuse.

Images: 8 pcs • Comments: 2 pcs

Observation information »

Pearl clouds

Pearl clouds

20.1.2022 at 15.36 - Kuusamo, Rukatunturi (II)
Jani Päiväniemi, Ursa (Pohjois-Suomi)

At work, after dusk, I almost certainly noticed pearl clouds heading south / west. There might have been other types of clouds as well as shining in brighter spots on the shore of the sky. Too bad when the camera was not included but I tried to document what I saw on my cell phone.

Images: 3 pcs • Comments: 1 pcs

Observation information »

James Webb

James Webb

26.12.2021 at 20.19 - 21.00 - Tervakoski (II)
Petri Kuossari, Riihimäen tähtit. yhdistys

The James Webb Space Telescope has been spotted several days after launch, now data from the Seti Institute began to flow. Let's start here.

Comments: 1 pcs

Observation information »

Half-sky auroras

Half-sky auroras

19.1.2022 at 23.43 - 02.24 - Karigasniemi (IV)
Tarja Kouvo

I waited a couple of hours after the first couple of flares. After that, there was only that gauze and vague light mass in the sky that desperately tried to come to life. I decided to go home. Just before I arrived in the village they then woke up. From time to time, my head flew over my head.

Images: 2 pcs • Comments: 2 pcs

Observation information »

Moon surface feature

Moon surface feature

17.1.2022 at 22.44 - Kauhava (IV)
Jari Kankaanpää, Lakeuden Ursa

Hausen Hausen, located on the edge of the west-southwestern vibration zone, appears intermittently disappearing from time to time on the dark side. The diameter of the crater is 167 km. In the middle of the stepped curbs there is a complex cluster of peaks. The picture shows a gorge that divides the cluster into two parts. It is interesting to explore the area using a 3-D globe / QuickMap compiled from LROC sonar data. Especially with the Fly around function, you can adjust the flight altitude and marvel at the complex structures of the mountain slopes, such as the giant cliffs that have rolle...

Comments: 1 pcs

Observation information »

Active aurora band

Active aurora band

14.1.2022 at 20.30 - 21.30 - Märsta (III)
Catharina Nilsson

Northern lights resembling dunes, visible in the sky to the eye. Later that evening, the northern lights became very strong. Urban environment with some light pollution and almost full moon.

Images: 5 pcs • Comments: 1 pcs

Observation information »

Diffuse glow

Diffuse glow

14.1.2022 at 20.00 - 20.15 - Ovanåker (I)
Erik Nyberg

Combination of diffuse glare WITH WAVES and aurora borealis bands. Perceived it as two different types of aurora borealis going on at the same time. Later, the northern lights became stronger and very active and the waves disappeared.

Images: 2 pcs • Comments: 2 pcs

Observation information »

Active aurora band

Active aurora band

15.1.2022 at 23.44 - 02.39 - Flosjöhyttan (III)
Sanna Porter Öhman

Heard you are looking for northern lights cushions. Tried to find reference image but only found one so my pictures may not be relevant for that purpose but I will send anyway. spectacular northern lights it was when it lasted nonstop for three hours. Changed all the time but not at a fast pace. Synthetic clear with the naked eye but the camera showed even better. Has more pictures than these.

Images: 6 pcs • Comments: 1 pcs

Observation information »

Active aurora band

14.1.2022 at 21.06 - 23.32 - Norrköpingin kunta (III)
Hanna Nilsson

The "cushions" were not clear to the eye, but I discovered it when I took pictures and set the settings on the camera. To the eye, it only looked like an ordinary aurora borealis arch, in a lighter gray that is most common to see this far down in the country when it is not so active. As usual when you see the Northern Lights arc so far down in the country, it looks like a lighter gray arc, so I did not see these "cushions" with the naked eye. However, I had my camera that was taking a timelap and I then saw in the pictures that the northerner got this shape. It's nothing I've seen befo...

Comments: 2 pcs

Observation information »

Quiet aurora arc

Quiet aurora arc

14.1.2022 at 20.00 - 21.30 - Säffle (II)
Anna Jansson

Arch that was more or less visible during the evening. Duvets that appeared in the camera. Rays came and went for short periods of time.

Images: 2 pcs • Comments: 3 pcs

Observation information »

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