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Best space photography of 2014 reveals stellar wonders (pictures)

On the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, Australian astronomers have gathered to honour the very best in astrophotography.

Claire Reilly
Claire Reilly was a video host, journalist and producer covering all things space, futurism, science and culture. Whether she's covering breaking news, explaining complex science topics or exploring the weirder sides of tech culture, Claire gets to the heart of why technology matters to everyone. She's been a regular commentator on broadcast news, and in her spare time, she's a cabaret enthusiast, Simpsons aficionado and closet country music lover. She originally hails from Sydney but now calls San Francisco home.
Claire Reilly
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1 of 8 Image by Paul Haese

Dust and Gas

Almost half a century after Australia's Parkes Observatory beamed images of the Apollo 11 moon landing across the world, astronomers once again gathered at Parkes' famous satellite dish to celebrate outstanding astrophotography as part of the David Malin Awards.

Held as part of the Central West Astronomical Society AstroFest in regional New South Wales, the awards coincided with the 45th anniversary of the landing.

Paul Haese's "Dust and Gas" -- a vivid image of the Orion Nebula -- picked up the award for Deep Sky photography and also took out overall honours.

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2 of 8 Image by Phil Hart

Dusty Heart of the Milky Way

Shot with an off-the-shelf camera and a standard 50mm lens, this image by Phil Hart took out the Wide-Field award and was described as a "perfectly simple rendition of the Milky Way".

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3 of 8 Image by Stefan Buda

Mars 2014

Stefan Buda's depiction of Mars, shot over several months, was awarded in the Solar System Hi-Res category.

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4 of 8 Image by Paul Haese

Prominence

Showing a large prominence on the sun, Paul Haese's detailed shot was recognised as the best Solar System Wide-Field photograph and described as "a stunning image in all respects".

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5 of 8 Phil Hart

Marine Moonset

Looking more like a sunset at first glance, Phil Hart's lunar shot took out top honours in the theme category for moon photography.

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6 of 8 Animation by Peter Ward/Screen cap by Claire Reilly

Shine On

Showing time-lapse footage of the sun in H-alpha light, Peter Ward's Shine On animation (still image shown above) was set to psychadelic Pink Floyd and picked up the award for best Scientific Animation Sequence.

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7 of 8 Animation by Alex Cherney/Screen cap by Claire Reilly

Dance of the Dishes

A balletic tribute to the Australia Telescope National Facility in Narrabri, New South Wales, Alex Cherney's Dance of the Dishes animation (still image shown above) was voted best Aesthetic Animated Sequence for its time-lapse shots of the Australia Telescope Compact Array.

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8 of 8 Image by David Fitz-Henry

The Horsehead and Flame Nebulas

David Fitz-Henry's colourful image of the Horsehead and Flame Nebulas took out the Photo Editor's Choice at the David Malin Awards.

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