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Want to shine like a star? Gain galactic bragging rights? Burst with pride like a bolide? Enter your hard-won astro-images in the Astroimaging Contest! Here’s all the info you need to generate your own solar radiance. |
As of April 2019, the Astroimaging Contest, formerly only within the purview of Nova East, is now a Halifax Centre contest thereby opening it to more than Nova East registrants. Astrophoto submissions from past years are available for viewing below.
Who Can Submit to the Contest:
Submissions will be accepted from any RASC Halifax Centre member and any person currently residing in Nova Scotia. The winner of any of the 3 adjudicated categories cannot submit to that category for the subsequently held contest.
Important Note:
By submitting a photo to the Halifax Centre Astroimaging Contest, the photographer has given permission for use on the RASC Halifax Centre website, the RASC Halifax Centre publication Nova Notes, and display at Halifax Members’ Meetings, and on the prize sponsor’s website and social media. If the photo is to be used for any other purpose, the photographer’s permission must be requested specifically for that purpose.
Deadline for Submission to the Contest:
The number of submissions received throughout 2022 meant the 2022 Astrophotography Contest was cancelled. The astroimagers were notified that their photos would be included in the 2024 Astrophotography Contest.
The deadline for submission is midnight Monday, November 11, 2024.
EXTENDED to Midnight Tuesday November 12, 2024.
This allows for distribution to the adjudicators and for any arrangements that would be necessary regarding the awards presentations at the Centre's Annual General Meeting (AGM) on December 2, 2024.
Contest Categories:
The Nova East Astroimaging Contest has three categories:
1. Wide Field (WF)
2. Solar System (SS)
3. Deep-Sky/Prime Focus (DS)
Image Description Guidelines:
Provide a single text file with the image description(s) separate from the images. The information provided will be used when posting the photos (except the photographer’s name prior to the winners being announced). Each description should be a single text block with:
· Photographer’s name
· Image Title
· What the object is
· Pertinent details
· Capture details: location, time, camera make, camera settings, lens, mount, total exposure time, focal ratio, processing steps, etc.
Image Guidelines & Submission:
The photo submitted may be in colour or black and white. No composite photos are allowed; however, stacked photographs are allowed. Each person may submit two entries per category. However, each person may win only once per category for which they submitted photos, i.e., they cannot win both 1st and 2nd prize in a category.
Images should be in JPEG format, 2,400 pixels wide, and should not have text (such as labels, copyright notices or other information) imprinted on them. Images should not be embedded in a presentation format.
Some composites (for example, those with foregrounds shot from a different location and/or date than the sky portion) are not eligible, however, nightscape images and photos consisting of stitched mosaics and panoramas are allowed.
All images must be captured using equipment you personally set up and operated.
The File Name format: category + image Title + file extension. Please do not include your name or initials in the naming of the file. For example:
· WF Yarmouth Milky Way.jpg
· SS Moon crater Plato.jpg
· DS M101.jpg
Images are to be emailed to
People's Choice Award
Thanks to the work of Melody Hamilton, the People's Choice Award was established as part of the Nova East Astroimaging Contest in 2018. The winner was determined by fellow Nova East registrants voting for their favourite photo of all those submitted to the contest. Fellow astronomers and their families got to acknowledge amateur photographers and their work.
Given Nova East 2021 was a speaker series utilizing Zoom for attendance, the mechanism for voting for this award during COVID-19 restrictions was changed. RASC Halifax members may vote for their People's Choice favourite through a SurveyMonkey survey to be emailed separately. The winner of the 2023 People's Choice Award will be announced at the RASC Halifax Centre Annual General Meeting (AGM) on December 2, 2023.
Prizes:
The Astroimaging Contest prizes will be determined each year in conjunction with the contest sponsors. The People's Choice Award is To Be Determined.
Announcement of Winners
Astroimaging Contest : All photos submitted were judged for their technical merit as well as their composition, visual interest, and artistic merit.
People's Choice Award: Voting of members and contest participants via Survey Monkey determine the winner of this award.
Winners will be announced at the December 2, 2024 Annual General Meeting (AGM).
Winners will be notified by email regarding their win. Once all winners are notified, the winners were announced on the RASC Halifax Centre website, through the RASC Halifax Centre Announce List, at the December Members' Meeting, and on the sponsor’s website and social media.
2023 Astroimaging Contest
Previous Contests
The 2022 Astroimaging Contest was rolled over to become the 2023 contest
2021 Astroimaging Contest
2020 Astroimaging Contest
2019 Astroimaging Contest