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Wednesday, December 31, 2014

The year 2014 of Astro Anarchy Observatory, happy new year 2015 to all!


The Great Wall of Cygnus 2014

Astro Anarchy Observatory, the year 2014

At the Spring season of 2014 my old Meade LX200 12" telescope gave up and died. I spent a whole summer season trying to find a way to finance a new setup.

I had lots of troubles, especially with the Meade company. First they contacted me and offered a brand new 14" LX850 for free. Then, after a couple of months, they cancelled everything without a reason. Meade really pissed me off big time, somebody might call it to a fraud! The false promises from Meade side cost me a lots of money, time and energy.

After all the troubles everything went well. I got great supporters from high end manufacturers and retailers. The new setup was up and running at mid October 2014.


All of my photos from the Autumn season 2014
Click for a much large image

All my photos from the Autumn season 2014 are taken with my new imaging setup. Celestron Edge HD 1100 with 0.7 reducer at 10-micron mount. Apogee Alta U16 camera with Astrodon filters and an active optics unit, SXV AO LF, from Starlight Xpress.
Photos from upper left to lower right, Soul Nebula, Tulip nebula, Cygnus Wall, Cederblad 214, Sharpless 132, NGC 281, Propeller Nebula, Sharpless 115 and the Pelican Nebula.

All of my photos from the Spring season 2014
Click for a large image

All images are taken with the Canon EF 200mm f1.8 lens, QHY9 astrocam and Baader narrowband filters by using a Meade LX200 GPS 12" as an imaging platform. After the last image of the Spring season, the ten panel mosaic of Cepheus at middle, the old Meade fried permanently.
Photos from upper left to bottom, Sharpless 221, G65.3+5.7 SNR, Cepheus mosaic and a mosaic image of Sharpless 221 SNR and 216 PL.


Some highlights of the year 2014 


  • Supporters, my humble thanks to the supporters, they made my work possible once again!

    All companies are offering the first class products and service!

This setup was possible due to great support!
The new imaging system. Some image quality analysis can be seen HERE


Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2014, Royal Observatory of Greenwich, third place.
Over 2500 images from 51 countries participated.


  • I also got one NASA APOD published (Astronomy Picture Of the Day) at November 15, the Tulip nebula.

NASA publication, Sh2-101, the Tulip Nebula





  • Suomen Kuvalehti wrote a large article at the last issue of the year 2014 about my photographing, eleven pages total. (SK 51-52 19.12.2014, pages 1 and 42-51)




California Nebula as an experimental 3D-model
In constellation Perseus


This is a looped video, click to start and stop. This is an experimental test with a 3D-conversion of my astronomical images. Only real elements from my original image are used, there is nothing added but the volumetric information!


  • I was invited as one of the speakers at the NEAIC conferenceNew York, Spring 2014. 


  • Two large public artworks from my photos get revealed at 2014. A very large, over 10 x 3m, photographic print on aluminium "Cirrus of Cygnus" and the "Path of Swans", 4 x 2m, on aluminium. Beside public works, many of my photos ended up to a private homes.
Path of Swans, 4x2m

Cirrus of Cygnus 10x3m, the large mosaic image is a very sharp even in this scale.


  • I participated to two art exhibitions with my astronomical photos, one in Helsinki and an other here in Oulu. 
3D-exhibition in Helsinki, large anaglyph photos, paintings and a movie.

Sale exhibition in Oulu


  • One of the most interesting tasks at 2014 was a cooperation with the vocal ensemble Cappella pro Vocale. This cross art production was a mixture of an old vocal music and the astronomical images. The production  took place at the church of  St Thomas. My photos get  projected with three powerful projectors on walls and sealing and everything was matched with the music carefully.  
Projected images in church of St Thomas, image copyright Tuula Jurvelin

Image copyright Antti Nevalainen

Image copyright Jaakko Nurro

Image copyright Jaakko Nurro


Tuesday, December 30, 2014

It looks like.... a collection of my photos as I see them



We have had a solid cloud cover, up here 65N, over two months now. My new imaging system stands useless at the rooftop, very frustrating.

We are easily seeing quasi logical forms in random shapes since we have a most powerful shape recognition machine in our brains.  Based on previous phenomena, I made a funny collection out of my photos. There is an original version of my photo and same photo as I see it in my head. Part of the images are named after my own observations and some are commonly known nicknames. NOTE. All of the astronomical photos in this blog post are originally taken by me. 

It looks like...

a Hawk

The Great Wall of Cygnus is a part of the North America Nebula, NGC 7000. Image info HERE


a Twirling Dancer

Melotte 15 cluster in IC 1805, info about this photo can be seen HERE


a Giacometti's "Walking Man"

An Elephant's Trunk Nebula in IC 1396, info about this photo can be seen HERE


an Alpine View


A closeup of NGC 1499, the "California Nebula"info about this photo can be seen HERE


a Cone

The "Cone Nebula", info about this image HERE


a Horse

Sharpless 132, "The furious cosmic horse gets blinded by a divine blue light" Image info HERE
The horse sculpture at right is shot from the Piazza Navona, Rome, and it's made by the great Bernini.


a Wizard

Info about the NGC 7380, the Wizard Nebula, can be seen HERE


an Eagle


Messier 16, M16, the Eagle Nebula, more info about this photo HERE


a logo of Grateful Dead

Simeis 147 supernova remnant in Taurus, information about this photo of mine can be found HERE
Info about the Grateful Dead HERE


a Nuclear Blast

IC 443, supernova remnant, a cosmic Nuclear Blast (It really is a one!) more info HERE


a Smiley Face

Eastern Veil Nebula, more info about this photo can be seen HERE


a Soap Bubble

Bubble Nebula, information about this photo of mine can be found HERE


a Pizza Pie


Messier 104 galaxy, information about this photo of mine can be found HERE


a Lobster

IC 410 and 405 Nebulae, more info about this photo can be seen HERE


a Baby Polar Bear

IC 1848, the Soul Nebula, information about this photo of mine can be found HERE


a Velvet Curtain

IC 405, the Flaming Star Nebula,  info about this photo can be seen HERE


a Ball of Tangled String

Simeis 147 supernova remnant in Taurus, information about this photo of mine can be found HERE


a Scottish Terrier

Sharpless 132, Sh2-132, information about this photo of mine can be found HERE


a Silver Dollar

NGC 253, a "Silver Dollar Galaxy", information about this photo of mine can be found HERE


a Gargoyle

A detail of the Elephant's Trunk Nebula in IC 1396, info about this photo can be seen HERE


a Question Mark

Cederblad 214, information about this photo of mine can be found HERE


a Bat


IC 1848, the Soul nebula, info about this photo can be found HERE

Or

an Angel




a Monkey Head

Info about the NGC 2174, the Monkey Head Nebula, can be seen HERE


a Siamese Fighting Fish

NGC 281, the "Pac Man Nebula", can be found HERE

This is traditionally seen as a "Pac Man" (A game figure from 80's)



a Cosmic Fertilization

IC 410, info about this photo can be seen HERE


a Burning Tree


Melotte 15 cluster in IC 1805, info about this photo can be seen HERE


a Heart

IC 1805, the Heart Nebula and a photo of a lamb's heart at right. Info about the IC 1805 photo HERE


a Chili Pepper


IC 410, info about this photo can be seen HERE


a Cirrus Cloud

Hydrogen filaments in Cygnus, info about this photo of mine can be seen HERE


a Christmas Tree

A Christmas Tree Cluster and the Cone Nebula, info about this photo can be seen HERE


A Chinese Dragon

18-panel mosaic photo of constellation Cygnus, info about this photo can be seen HERE


a Horus


NGC 6357, Sharpless 11, an Egyptian Horus, more info HERE


a Butterfly

Butterfly Nebula, info about this photo of mine can be found HERE


a Pelican

Pelican Nebula in Cygnus, more information about Pelican Nebula can be seen  HERE


a Ghost

IC 63, the Red Ghost, more info about this photo can be seen HERE


a Medusa's Head

A wide field shot of the Tulip Nebula area, in constellation Cygnus, looks like the Bernini's sculpture of Medusa's Head. More info about this photo can be seen HERE

(or a Sideshow Bob from the Simpsons...)




a North America

NGC  7000, the North America nebula, more info about this photo HERE


a Nike of Samothrace

IC 1340, "an Electric Nike of Samothrace", part of the Eastern veil nebula in light emitted by the ionized Oxygen only. More info about this image can be seen HERE


a Piece of Marble

The Propeller Nebula area in constellation cygnus looks like tile of a marble stone. More info about this target can be seen HERE.


a Rose

Rosette Nebula, more info about this object can be found HERE


a Leaping Puma

A detail from the Rosette Nebula looks like a leaping Puma. More info about this photo HERE


a Teapot

The Tulip Nebula, Sh2-101, a Cosmic Teapot. (Note. the famous Russell's teapot!)
Info about this photo of mine can be seen HERE.


a Tulip

The Tulip Nebula, Sharpless 101, more info can be seen HERE


a Tennis Ball


Sh2-216, A planetary Nebula in Perseus, the closest PN to Earth ever discovered, looks like a cosmic tennis ball. More info about this object can be found HERE