The August 2023 Contests are Here!
Today we are announcing the new contests for August 2023!
If you are new to our monthly contests, you should read the general rules first.
And remember that these competitions are for everybody! It is not a case that we have Expert and Beginner tiers…
Moreover, contests are the best way to improve and monitor your skills, having your work evaluated by our tutors (some of the best astrophotographers you can find out there).
So, if you are a novice, watch our tutorials dedicated to you and then throw yourself into the competition to put your abilities to the test.
Instead, if you are an expert imager looking for some new techniques that might get you the sought-after award, we have incredible resources also for you! Browse the library and use the filters to select the difficulty level, tutor, software, etc.
Quick tips for this month contest
However, if you want to dive deeper into this month's target, you should watch the video tutorial created by our Tutor James Ritson.
In this brief video, James Ritson offers an introduction to this month's target, as well as sharing his personal processing tips.
That said, let’s see the definitions of the two contests for this month (and remember to check the general rules before taking part in these contests)!
The One-Click Contest
The One-Click Observation for the August 2023 Contest is the NGC 3532, obtained with
AUS-2-CMOS in the HLRGB filter set.
NGC 3532 is an open star cluster in the constellation Carina. Known as the Wishing Well Cluster, it contains around 150 stars, including several bright blue giants, and is visible to the naked eye.
You can grab and download the One-Click Observations by clicking here.
To qualify for the contest, remember to tag the picture you upload with #OneClickContestAug23 and either #Expert or #Beginner (check this page to find out your skill level).
The winners of the best picture in the One-Click Contest will receive:
- 25 credits prize (value $38) in the Beginner tier
- 50 credits prize (value $76) in the Expert tier
The Bundle Contest
The Observation Bundle for the August 2023 Contest is the HELIX NEBULA obtained with CHI-1-CMOS in the HSO filter set. It contains 11 One-Click Observations corresponding to more than 9 hours of total exposure time.
The Helix Nebula, also known as the "Eye of God," is a planetary nebula located in the constellation Aquarius. It showcases a mesmerizing ring-like structure formed from the outer layers of a dying star.
You can see and grab this Observation Bundle by clicking here.
To qualify for the contest, remember to tag the picture you upload with #BundleContestAug23 and either #Expert or #Beginner (check this page to find out your skill level)
The winners of the best picture in the Bundle Contest will receive:
- 75 credits prize (value $113) in the Beginner tier
- 100 credits prize (value $140) in the Expert tier
May the best astrophotographer win!