Crni Vrh Observatory

- Crni Vrh Observatory

MPC observatory code 106
Longitude: 14^o 04' 16" East; Latitude: 45^o 56' 45" North; Altitude: 726 m
First Published November 10, 1995

Crni Vrh Observatory is operated by a group of dedicated observers. We run a Comet and Asteroid Search Program named PIKA after a Slovene acronym. For that purpose, we designed and built a 0.6-m, f/3.3 Cichocki telescope (named after B. Cichocki). It is custom made, advanced technology, wide-field imaging system, designed for sky survey applications. Since 2004, it operates as a remote robotic telescope. It nightly scans the sky and returns new discoveries of small Solar System bodies, which sometimes threaten our home planet Earth. Recent software upgrade enable us also discovery of distant cosmic explosions such as supernovae, Gamma Ray Bursts and variable stars. See also our 2 minute video presentation and recent updates of the PIKA project.

2000 and 2010 Shoemaker Grant Recipient

Last Images

	Comet C/2025 R3 (PANSTARRS) Unfiltered false color image of comet C/2025 R3 (PANSTARRS), obtained on 2026 Mar. 30 (3h28-3h44 UT) with 60-cm, f/3.3 Deltagraph telescope and CMO. Exposure time was 10 minutes (20x30 seconds). Image scale is 1.46 arc sec/pixel. The comet was only 15 degrees above the horizon. The images were taken through the branches of a beech tree, which acted as a Bahtinov mask (see diffraction patterns of bright stars). Copyright © 2026 by H. Mikuz, Crni Vrh Observatory.

	Comet C/2025 R3 (PANSTARRS) Unfiltered false color image of comet C/2025 R3 (PANSTARRS), obtained on 2026 Mar. 28 (3h28-3h44 UT) with 60-cm, f/3.3 Deltagraph telescope and CMO. Exposure time was 10 minutes (20x30 seconds). Image scale is 1.46 arc sec/pixel. The comet was only 15 degrees above the horizon. The images were taken through the branches of a beech tree, which acted as a Bahtinov mask (see diffraction patterns of bright stars). Copyright © 2026 by H. Mikuz, Crni Vrh Observatory.

	Comet C/2024 E1 (Wierzchos) Unfiltered false color image of comet C/2024 E1 (Wierzchos), obtained on 2026 Mar. 4 (18h15-18h31 UT) with 60-cm, f/3.3 Deltagraph telescope and CMO. Exposure time was 10 minutes (20x30 seconds). Image scale is 1.75 arc sec/pixel. Copyright © 2026 by H. Mikuz, Crni Vrh Observatory.

	Comet C/2022 N2 (PANSTARRS) Unfiltered false color image of comet C/2022 N2 (PANSTARRS), obtained on 2026 Jan. 8 (18h00-18h19UT) with 60-cm, f/3.3 Deltagraph telescope and CMOS camera. Exposure time was 15 minutes (15 x 60 seconds). Copyright © 2026 by H. Mikuz, Crni Vrh Observatory.

	Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) Image of comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS), obtained on 2026 Jan. 8 (17h34-17h53UT) with 60-cm, f/3.3 Deltagraph telescope and CMO. The fragmentation continues and the comet slowly fades away. Exposure time was 15 minutes (15 x 60 seconds). Image scale is 1.17 arc sec/pixel. Copyright © 2026 by H. Mikuz, Crni Vrh Observatory.

	Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Unfiltered image of interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS, obtained on 2025 Dec. 30 (2h48-3h07 UT) with 60-cm, f/3.3 Deltagraph telescope and CMO. Exposure time was 15 minutes (15x60 seconds). Image scale is 1.46 arc sec/pixel. Copyright © 2025 by H. Mikuz, Crni Vrh Observatory.

	Comet C/2022 QE78 (ATLAS) Unfiltered false color image of comet C/2022 QE78 (ATLAS), obtained on 2025 Dec. 30 (2h03-2h22UT) with 60-cm, f/3.3 Deltagraph telescope and CMO. Exposure time was 15 minutes (15x60 seconds). Image scale is 1.46 arc sec/pixel. Copyright © 2025 by H. Mikuz, Crni Vrh Observatory.

	Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) Image of comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS), obtained on 2025 Dec. 13 (22h16-22h37UT) with 60-cm, f/3.3 Deltagraph telescope and CMO. After the fragmentation in early November 2025, at least two components are visible on this frame. Exposure time was 15 minutes (30 x 30 seconds). Image scale is 1.17 arc sec/pixel. Copyright © 2025 by H. Mikuz, Crni Vrh Observatory.

Light Pollution	Night Sky Phenomena	Old DSLR Gallery

Drustvo temno nebo Slovenije

Astronomska revija Spika	Portal v vesolje	Astronomy Picture of the Day

Astronomska revija Spika		Prevod v slovenscino

Observer's Support

Comets

	HORIZONS Ephemeris Generator
	CARA Comet Data Archive

Comet Observers Database (COBS)

Observatories/Observing Programs

	Astronomy Astrophysics at Univ. of Ljubljana
	Astronomical Observatory Golovec
	Rezman Observatory

Metrics and plots from MPEC service.

	MPEC Watch

Asteroids and comets

	IAU Minor Planet Center
	Sky Coverage
	The NEO Confirmation Page
	Possible Comet Confirmation Page
	NEO Rating Page
	Comets in Need for Recovery
	MPC Ephemeris Service
	New Object Ephemeris
	Minor Planet Checker
	NEA Observation Planning Aid
	MPC Database Search
	Identification of satellites from astrometric positions
	MPC Animations Page
	Impact Effects Calculator
	On-line Find_Orb

	Sun and Moon Data 2026 (for Ljubljana)

News

	Aurora Borealis over the Central Europe (January 19-20, 2026)


	Since it was cloudy at our location, we monitored the aurora on Panomax panoramic camera from the Dobratsch Nature Park (Austria) and made a time-lapse video from the captured images. More ...

	Aurora Borealis over the Crni Vrh Observatory (November 12, 2025)


	Polar camera at Crni Vrh Observatory recorded a great display of northern lights, starting on 12th November 2025 at 1:35 UT until dawn. More ...