Hi, since 1973 night and day sky have been my inspiration in photography. These pages show sample images of more than 100 000 entries in my archives. All pictures are © Pekka Parviainen. For ordering stills or video footage or to see more samples, please see instructions . LUX BOREALIS was established to get space for more images and to split Polar Image into two parts. Polar Image remains astronomy and atmospheric phenomena oriented while Lux Borealis shows more casual photography. Both domains will share same menus and a couple of pages but no images. Entries in the upper half of the menu switch to POLAR IMAGE, while the lower half keeps you in LUX BOREALIS. For a more global view of night sky wonders, drop in The World At Night, TWAN site.

Message 2010-05-01: A few more compositions of solar distortions were posted in POLAR IMAGE. There images from subpage 5 to page 7 have the 24 new composites. Message 2010-04-08: A large update of solar distortions was posted in Polar Image. A great many visually interesting compositions are shown revealing something of the behaviour of our atmosphere at sunset or sunrise. Message 2009-10-26: Noctilucent clouds of 2009 have been posted (in POLAR IMAGE). This update completes noctilucent cloud posting; pages are up-to-date. Sure, only part of all 8500 NLC-images are shown there, but on the other hand missing images would not add too much to current pages. I feel pity that at the moment I can't afford more web-space. There would be a lot of NLC-time-lapse videos for posting. Also other video material would be ready, but due to short of money the remaining space in my two domains will be reserved for more stills. A crude estimate is that about half of the intended images is now shown (now 14 000+ images). Large categories that are not shown are cumulus clouds, cirrus clouds, boring ordinary clouds, astrophotography, mixture of atmospheric and optical phenomena, several hundreds of travel pictures, a few thousand macros, and also a number of large updates, f.ex. halos and iridescence. Message 2009-10-05: In POLAR IMAGE noctilucent clouds of 2005, 2006 and 2007-2008 have been posted. Thumbnail pages are quite large due to number of images. Message 2009-07-11: In POLAR IMAGE noctilucent clouds of 2000-2001, 2002-2003 and 2004 have been rescanned and new images added. Also a short table of 30 years observing was posted. Years 2005-2008 are about to appear soon; at least all material has been scanned! Message 2009-05-20: Noctilucent clouds of 1991-1996 and 1997-1999 have been rescanned and new images added. These images in POLAR IMAGE. Message 2009-05-13: All the huge NLC-archive has been rescanned and samples of displays are posted replacing the old stuff. All this in POLAR IMAGE. Firstly a few rocket exhausts are posted anew with an addition of the STS-126 shuttle launch. Of the NLCs here are periods 1977-1985 and 1986-1990 posted anew. More will follow after I have prepared news scans for posting (including all years up to 2008). Message 2009-05-12: A complete new scan of rainbows was posted. Total of five pages of thumbnails show a lot of new images. (This in Polar Image.) Message 2008-08-20: A 'controversial' update in Lux Borealis: 220 images of alpacas! These funny and relaxed looking camelians are just too inspiring to be neglected after having had an opporturnity to follow their life. Message 2008-07-12: A major update in Lux Borealis: about 1800 new macro images were added. What is new here is a great number of images of ice sceneries and of ice in general. In Polar Image a major update is also finished in category mirages. All old images were re-scanned, a great many new were added and what is also quite important: tens of composite images were compiled to show how differently mirages can distort some particular object. Total of 450 images were posted. Message 2007-11-30: Major split into two domains was finished. Here in Lux Borealis a new category of Tourist snapshots was added. In Polar Image a large quality scan of auroras 1980-2002 was posted. (Quality scan for years 2003-2007 was posted a year ago.) There are some linking problems between the two domains, but they will be soon solved. When you find broken links or missing images, feel free to notice. Thanks! Next update will be mirages and winter macro photographs.

Mailing address Polar Image Pekka Parviainen Jösse Sakon katu 8 as. 86 20610 Turku, Finland Tel. +358 400 74 32 32 (Mobile, usually open 24h)

e-contact: In all cases use primary address However, if this keeps failing, try secondary None of the addresses accepts large attachements. One reason to bouncing mail may be too large a file or too many smaller files attached. There are ways to exchange larger files; see instructions . If you are in a hurry, please ask for fast response and if necessary use mobile phone to "alarm". These back-up routines are due to problems met by some when trying to use primary address and continuously getting error reports. NOTE also: Use of phone may be necessary to get a prompt answer, because I may be out for several days doing photography.

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