Eta Carina (Narrow Band)
Astrophotography isn't a field you hear about every day; it takes patience, precision and dedication to produce stunning images.
In July 2010, the Central West Astronomical Society (CWAS) hosted a competition inviting entries from photographers and astronomers. The following photographs were all entered into the David Malin Awards, named after Australia's most prestigious astrophotographer, David Malin.
The 2010 competition had six categories, ranging from Deep Sky, Solar System to video. Images and videos were judged on the basis of artistic merit and their ability to capture the "intrinsic interest of astronomy".
To see more of these images, head to the 2010 CWAS Astrophotography competition page.
Celestial Fireworks
Overall winner
Exposure: Takahashi FSQ-106ED refractor (telescope). SBIG STL-11000M 35mm CCD camera @ 16 hours
Near and Far
The Corona Australis Nebula and NGC 6723
New Moon Occults the Pleiades
Winner of the Solar System: Wide Field category
Exposure: Canon 1000D unmodified prime focus through an Orion ED80 refractor on tracking EQ5 mount. ISO 400 @ 8 seconds
Murray River Moonrise
Exposure: Nikon D3s, Tokina 12-24mm lens, 17mm, f/4, 3200 ISO @ 15 sec with minor adjustments in Photoshop