Big 5 of the African Sky challenge

ASSA is pleased to partner with

 

manufacturers of high-quality astrophotography filters

 Enter your photo by 30 June 2023

The theme is “The Big 5 of the African Sky. The Big 5 are prime examples of the various types of deep-sky object: the Southern Pleiades (open star cluster), Omega Centauri (globular cluster), eta Carinae Nebula (bright nebula), the Coalsack (dark nebula) and the Milky Way (galaxy – hint: nightscape potential).

There is one prize for each object, i.e. 5 in total. The winning photographers for each category will be able to choose a filter from the Optolong range, in a format suitable for their equipment (e.g. 2” screw-in or clip-in for Canon/Nikon/Sony DSLR body)

Conditions

All submissions will be presented in the ASSA Flickr gallery https://www.flickr.com/photos/astrosocsa/albums
All submissions may be used (with attribution) in ASSA publications such as the Sky Guide Southern Africa, on our website https://assa.saao.ac.za/, and by Optolong for their marketing.

Rules

  1. The competition is restricted to ASSA members (Centre or Country).
  2.  Submit your images electronically to astrophotography@assa.saao.ac.za
  3. Acceptable file formats are .JPG and .TIFF, with a maximum file size of 5MB.
  4. Image processing including stacking is acceptable. However, if you have processed the image, an original .JPG containing the usual EXIF information produced by the camera must accompany the final result.
  5. Each image must be submitted separately.
  6. 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.
  7. Needless to say, all submitted images must be your own work.
  8. Ownership of the intellectual property remains with the photographer without restrictions.
  9. By submitting an image, you agree to the rules, affirm that it is your own work, and agree to ASSA and Optolong 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.
  10. Images submitted should have been captured during the last 12 months.
  11. Cut-off date for submissions is 30 June 2023.
  12. The winners will be announced at the ASSA AGM 2 August 2023.
  13. The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into regarding the judging.

Results

2023 Big 5 of the African Sky Astrophoto Challenge gallery on Flickr.