Astrophotography Section

Section Director: Martin Heigan
Activity areas: Astrophotography, Video-astrophotography
Specialists & Collaborators: Liam McDermott
Contact us: [ astrophotographyassa.saao.ac.za ]
ASSA Photo Gallery: Astrophoto Gallery
Archives: AstroSocSA on Flickr

How to do astrophotography

If you have never taken photos of the night sky, or would like to understand the processes behind astrophotography, consult our Guide to Astrophotography for advice. This is an evolving resource and you are welcome to propose areas of improvement.

Share your photographs

Photographers are invited to share their images with the ASSA Astrophotography Section. All images will be added to the ASSA Image Archive (on Flickr), which can be browsed on the Gallery page.  Send an e-mail to [ astrophotographyassa.saao.ac.za ] containing a description of the equipment used, settings, a description of the processing process, and any other relevant information. Don’t forget to also describe target, and include the image as an attachment. Make sure that the image is as high a quality as you can fit in an email, so as to best show off your work!

Astrophotography Section Contact List

Stay up-to-date by subscribing to the Astrophotography Section Contact List. This is a low-volume mailing list, that is used to share relevant Astrophotography news and events with the Astrophotography community in southern Africa.

Astrophotography Challenges

The Astrophotography Section regularly challenges its members to capture specific images. Some of these challenges are meant to push your skills, others are meant to establish a record of interesting events, and others are just meant to be fun! New challenges are periodically announced, sometimes in partnership with outside organisations.

Current challenges

Closing date for receipt of submissions:15 January 2026.
Announcement: Winners will be announced in February 2026.
Prizes: Prizes are presently being sought – watch this space for details. We aimed to have 3 prizes.
Theme: Solar System astrophotography, i.e. targets are restricted to the Moon, Sun, planets, meteors, and star-scapes with a terrestrial foreground.
Equipment: Any non-dedicated astro camera, i.e. only DSLR, smart phone, webcam cameras.
Conditions: All submissions will be presented in the ASSA Flickr gallery.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/astrosocsa/albums

Rules:

  • The competition is restricted to ASSA members (Centre or Country)
  • Only images taken since 1 July 2025 will be considered.
  • Submissions received after the closing date of 15 January 2026 shall not be considered.
  • Submit your images electronically to astrophotographyassa.saao.ac.za
  • Acceptable file formats are .JPG and .TIFF, with a maximum file size of 5MB.
  • Image processing, including stacking, is acceptable. Should an entry be shortlisted, you may be requested to supply a full-size processed image plus the original raw file with embedded EXIF.
  • Each image must be submitted separately.
  • Each submission must be accompanied by the following information:
    a.  Your name and contact details.
    b.  The date, time and approximate location.
    c.  A brief description of the equipment used and any processing techniques employed.
  • Needless to say, all submitted images must be your own work.
  • Ownership of the intellectual property remains with the photographer without restrictions.
  • By submitting an image, you agree to the rules, affirm that it is your own work, and agree to ASSA and the sponsors of prizes publishing the image plus any associated details with suitable accreditation (i.e. specifically including your name) in our various communications channels. The image may be cropped or its resolution reduced to suit the needs of publication.

The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into regarding the judging.

Previous challenges

Older challenges can be found in the Website Archive.

Awards and Certificates

Every year, the Director has the option of recognising the efforts of South African astrophotographers by bestowing awards and certificates. Browse the gallery of past recipients.