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

	Periodic Comet 220P/McNaught Image of periodic comet 220P/McNaught in outburst, obtained on 2026 Aug. 16 (2h01-2h26 UT) with 20-cm, f/4.0 Quattro telescope and Canon 6D camera. Exposure time was 20 minutes at ISO 3200. Image scale is 5.04 arc sec/pixel. Copyright © 2026 by H. Mikuz, Crni Vrh Observatory.

	Periodic Comet 220P/McNaught Image of periodic comet 220P/McNaught in outburst, obtained on 2026 Aug. 15 (2h01-2h26 UT) with 20-cm, f/4.0 Quattro telescope and Canon 6D camera. Exposure time was 25 minutes at ISO 3200. Image scale is 5.04 arc sec/pixel. Copyright © 2026 by H. Mikuz, Crni Vrh Observatory.

	Periodic Comet 220P/McNaught Image of periodic comet 220P/McNaught in outburst, obtained on 2026 Aug. 11 (1h41-2h05 UT) with 20-cm, f/4.0 Quattro telescope and Canon 6D camera. Exposure time was 24 minutes at ISO 3200. Image scale is 5.04 arc sec/pixel. Copyright © 2026 by H. Mikuz, Crni Vrh Observatory.

	Periodic Comet 220P/McNaught Unfiltered false color image of periodic comet 220P/McNaught in outburst, obtained on 2026 Aug. 9 (2h17-2h36 UT) with 60-cm, f/3.3 Deltagraph telescope and CMO. Exposure time was 15 minutes (15x60 seconds). Image scale is 1.25 arc sec/pixel. Copyright © 2026 by H. Mikuz, Crni Vrh Observatory.

	Periodic Comet 10P/Tempel Unfiltered false color image of periodic comet 10P/Tempel, obtained on 2026 July 13 (0h33-0h48 UT) with 60-cm, f/3.3 Deltagraph telescope and CMO. Exposure time was 12 minutes (12x60 seconds). Image scale is 1.25 arc sec/pixel. The image clearly shows the comet's dust trail, formed by particles ejected from the comet's nucleus. Copyright © 2026 by H. Mikuz, Crni Vrh Observatory.

	Periodic Comet 220P/McNaught Unfiltered false color image of periodic comet 220P/McNaught, obtained on 2026 June 20 (1h13-1h25 UT) with 60-cm, f/3.3 Deltagraph telescope and CMO. Exposure time was 9 minutes (18x30 seconds). Image scale is 1.25 arc sec/pixel. Copyright © 2026 by H. Mikuz, Crni Vrh Observatory.

	Periodic Comet 10P/Tempel Unfiltered false color image of periodic comet 10P/Tempel, obtained on 2026 June 14 (0h58-1h13 UT) with 60-cm, f/3.3 Deltagraph telescope and CMO. Exposure time was 10 minutes (20x30 seconds). Image scale is 1.25 arc sec/pixel. 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 Apr. 12 (2h57-3h06 UT) with 60-cm, f/3.3 Deltagraph telescope and CMO. Exposure time was 5 minutes (10x30 seconds). Image scale is 1.46 arc sec/pixel. The comet was only about 15 degrees above the horizon. Copyright © 2026 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 ...