The New Zealand Astrophotography Competitors showcases and acknowledges among the most gorgeous pictures of the southern hemisphere’s night time sky. This 12 months, photographers from throughout New Zealand have captured some extremely breathtaking skyscapes resembling superb auroras, gorgeous pictures of our Photo voltaic System, and deep-sky marvels.
Universe Right now was proud to be a part of this 12 months’s competitors, as our personal Fraser Cain was one of many judges.
The general winner within the competitors is a beautiful view of the Aurora Australis, above, by photographer Tom Rae. Rae mentioned he captured this picture through the “as soon as in a lifetime” geomagnetic storm in Might of 2024, exhibiting the Milky Approach arching over the dramatic panorama of Aoraki Mount Cook dinner Nationwide Park. This picture additionally received the “Aurora” class.
The opposite classes within the competitors embody Deep Sky, Photo voltaic System, Darkish-Sky Locations, Timelapse, and new this 12 months are Smartphone Photos and a Folks’s Alternative Award, chosen by the general public.
There’s additionally a Nightscape class, and the winner –once more — for this class is Tom Rae, exhibiting the bowed Milky Approach over a pointy ridge in Aoraki Mount Cook dinner Nationwide Park.
“This picture is one in all my largest astrophotography accomplishments thus far,” Rae defined on NZ Astrophotography Competitors web site, “and the biggest panorama I’ve ever captured, with the total decision picture containing over a billion pixels from 62 pictures stitched collectively.”
Deep Sky
NZ astrophotographer Rolf Wahl Olsen isn’t any stranger to Universe Right now readers, as we’ve featured a number of of his pictures for years. Olsen outdid himself with this deep sky picture of Eta Carinae.
“That is the primary newbie picture of sunshine echoes from the Nineteenth-century Nice Eruption of Eta Carinae,” Olsen defined. “These mild echoes have been detected by the Hubble Area Telescope and from giant observatories such because the CTIO 4m telescope, however that is the primary time that newbie pictures reveal these transient options.
Olson mentioned his different first newbie detection of sunshine echoes from supernova SN1987a impressed an try and attempt in search of the fainter echoes close to Eta Carinae. You’ll be able to learn extra about this effort on the NZ Astrophotography web site and likewise at Olsen’s web site.
Photo voltaic System
Navaneeth Unnikrishnan captured this gorgeous view of the total disk of the Solar. Utilizing an H-alpha filter reveals the Solar’s dynamic floor and big prominences. “A reminder of the unimaginable energy and sweetness simply past our skies,” mentioned Unnikrishnan.
Darkish Sky
Abby Keith captured this gorgeous darkish sky picture whereas on a five-day hike in New Zealand’s in Fiordland Nationwide Park. The view reveals Lake Mackenzie, a sub-alpine lake on the Routeburn Monitor, which is one in all New Zealand’s Nice Walks.
This panoramic picture consists of 16 pictures for the foreground and 38 pictures for the sky.
“This picture is the toughest one I’ve needed to work for,” Keith defined. Carrying a 20-plus kg pack was price it, nevertheless, as there have been good situations to seize this view.
Smartphone
This picture was was additionally taken through the well-known geomagnetic storm of Might 12, 2024. Griffin known as it “one of the epic auroral storms I’ve ever seen. As my essential digital cameras snapped away, I made a decision to see what my Iphone may do; I used to be blown away by the outcomes!”
So are we! For extra nice astrophotos, take a look at Griffin’s web site.
Folks’s Alternative
New this 12 months for this competitors is the Folks’s Alternative Award, the place after short-list winners have been introduced, on-line voting was opened for the general public to decide on their favourite pictures. This lovely and heartfelt picture is unquestionably worthy of being a favourite. You’ll be able to see extra of Birley’s pictures on Instagram.
Timelapse
This breathtaking timelapse reveals mountains rotating in opposition to the backdrop of the celebs, as a substitute of the same old view of the celebs transferring. This work was submitted by Final Quarter Pictures on YouTube.
You’ll be able to see all of the winners, runners-up and extremely recommended pictures and movies on the NZ Astrophotography Competitors web site.
New Zealand Astrophotography Competitors That is New Zealand’s main annual astrophotography competitors and it’s run collectively by the Royal Astronomy Society of New Zealand (RASNZ) and the Auckland Astronomical Society. Together with Fraser Cain, the opposite judges this 12 months have been Judy Schmidt — one other title well-known to Universe Right now readers for her imaging modifying and cosmic creativity, and Dylan O’Donnell who operates the YouTube channel “Star Stuff.”
Under is a video of all of the short-list entries from this 12 months’s competitors.
