Rogelio Bernal Andreo's wide-field view of the nebulae in Orion the Hunter won 2009's Deep-Sky category. Rogelio Bernal Andreo
We’ve divided the competition into three categories: Deep-sky, Solar System, and General. If you don’t quite know which category to enter (for example, is a moonrise over the pyramids solar system or general?) send your image in anyway. We’ll sort it out. In addition to the three category winners, we’ll choose one additional image as the grand prize winner.
The grand prize is a Celestron CPC 1100 GPS XLT 11-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. It features diffraction-limited optics, Celestron’s premium StarBright XLT coatings, a fully computerized dual fork arm alt-azimuth mount, an 8x50 finder scope, a newly designed heavy-duty tripod, a star diagonal, and a remote hand control and holder.
The telescope’s mount features NexStar computer control technology, a database of 40,000 objects, customizable database lists of the most famous deep-sky objects by name and catalog number, and a newly redesigned drive base and drive mechanics.
Winners of the three categories in the astroimaging contest will win a CCD camera from Imaging Source. The first is the DMK 31AU03.AS camera, a monochrome USB camera with a resolution of 1024x768 pixels and a 1/3" progressive scan CCD chip. The second is the DMK41AU02.AS camera, a 1/2" progressive scan CCD chip with a resolution of 1280x960 pixels. The third is the DMK 21AU04.AS camera, a 640x480 pixel camera with 1/4" progressive scan CCD chip. Each of these will provide the winners with years of quality skyshooting.
We invite you to submit your finest astroimage at Astronomy.com/photocontest. You can also send your digital image on a CD or DVD to: Astronomy Photo Contest, P. O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612.
Need inspiration? Subscribers can check out all the 2009 entries in the Deep-sky, Solar System, and General categories.
Each image must feature an astronomical subject in one of the three categories. Only one entry per contestant is allowed. Composite images (those made from multiple exposures) are allowed. Please include a description of the subject featured, the name and address of the imager, and all details (telescope manufacturer and model, CCD or digital camera manufacturer and model, lens, f/ratio, ISO, filters, number and duration of exposures, and date and time the image was taken). No images/disks will be returned.
We’ll showcase all the winners in a special Astronomy.com online gallery and a future Reader Gallery in the magazine. Just be sure to get your images to us by the deadline, October 1.