Stunning Stellar Array of Astronomical Pictures
Pictures that really are out of this world: Stellar array of winning images from Astronomy Photographer of the Year
From a remarkable meteor shower to stunning pictures of the swirling gases and galaxies in deep space, these are just a few of the phenomenal images entered into this year's Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition. Over a thousand amateur and professional photographers from around the world entered the competition, but Australian Mark Gee won the top prize for his beautiful image of the sky over the southern hemisphere, decorated with a number of astronomical highlights. The shot shows central regions of the Milky Way Galaxy - over 26,000 light years away - appearing as a tangle of dust and stars, lit up by a lighthouse on the Cape Palliser, New Zealand, shining out to sea. http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/...75_964x544.jpg Winning shot: Mark Gee's image of the Milky Way came first in the Earth and Space Category as well as being voted overall winner http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/...97_964x999.jpg Stunning: Fredrik Broms from Norway was voted runner-up for this beautiful picture of the Aurora Borealis http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/...12_964x936.jpg Night sky: Fredrik Broms was also highly commended in the category for this image of the Comet Panstarrs over the mountains in his native Norway http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/...39_964x999.jpg Extraordinary: American David Kingham's image of a Perseid Meteor Shower over a mountain range was also highly commended In the top left corner of the picture are two Magellanic Clouds, or small satellite galaxies in orbit around the Milky Way, which look like two round smudges in Mr Gee's image. Framing the photograph is the rugged landscape of the cape, which looks almost like the surface of a distant planet in itself. Mr Gee, who won £1,500 for his incredible picture, impressed the judges with the depth and clarity of his winning shot. Judge and Royal Observatory Public Astronomer, Dr. Marek Kukula said: 'I love the tranquil combination of sea and sky in this beautiful image, along with the comforting human element of the cliff-top lighthouse. http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/...09_964x626.jpg Surreal: Spaniard Dani Caxete's image shows a quadruple lunar halo illuminating the landscape below http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/...50_964x714.jpg Far away: An image of the Celestial Impasto, a star formation composed off dust and gas, taken by American Adam Block http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/...66_964x542.jpg Deep space: Ivan Eder, from Hungary, took this wonderful shot of M81 and M82 galaxies - twelve million light years from Earth http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/...91_964x594.jpg Dust cloud: The Rho Ophiuchi and Antares Nebulae cloud complex - a dark nebula of gas - taken by Tom O'Donoghue 'This view from the shores of New Zealand makes me think of the long voyages the Maori's ancestors made into unchartered oceans, guided by the stars. We're in a similar situation today, as we set out to explore the Universe.' Mr Gee was crowned both overall winner and winner of the Earth and Space category. There were six other categories, including Deep Space, Our Solar System, People and Space, Robotic Scope Image of the Year, Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year and the Sir Patrick Moore prize for Best Newcomer. Runner-up in the Earth and Space category was a striking vision of a green Aurora Borealis captured by Fredrik Broms from Norway. http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/...21_964x658.jpg Cluster: Omega Centauri - a spherical cloud containing several million stars taken by Ignacio Diaz Bobillo from Argentina http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/...43_964x566.jpg Haunting: A Corona Composite - or eclipse of the sun - taken in 2012 in Australia by Man-To Hui http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/...67_964x431.jpg Spectacular: Winning the Sir Partick Moore prize for Best Newcomer was Sam Cornwell for his image of the transit of Venus The beautiful image clearly shows the shapes and forms of the Aurora Borealis as they are moulded by the Earth’s complex magnetic field above Grøtfjord in Norway. The photographer was also highly commended for his image of Comet Panstarrs over Norway's snow-topped mountains. A breath-taking total eclipse of the Sun, sometimes called a ‘cosmic coincidence’ due to the similar apparent sizes of the Sun and Moon, taken by Man-To Hui from China won the Our Solar System category. Adam Block won the Deep Space category for his image of star-formation Celestial Impasto with Ireland's Tom O'Donoghue winning runner up for his picture of gas and dust cloud complex Rho Ophiuchi and Antares Nebulae, appearing like spots of ink floating through water. Briton Sam Cornwell took first place in the newly renamed Sir Patrick Moor prize for Best Newcomer for his ghostly, visceral depiction of the 2012 Transit of Venus - which will not take place again until 2117. http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/...11_964x527.jpg Double: Overall winner Mark Gee also won the People and Space Category for this image of a group of individuals silhouetted against the moon http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/...53_964x603.jpg Alight: Jia Hao's 'Ring of Fire Sequence' showing an 'annular eclipse' in which a ring of the sun remains visible Teenager Jacob Marchio from the USA impressed the judges with two images. The first was a portrait of a waxing crescent Moon and the second a moody picture of the Milky Way Galaxy rendered with a dusky brown colour palette, which won the 14-year-old the accolade of Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year. From today, the best of these exceptional photographs will be showcased in a free exhibition in the Royal Observatory’s Astronomy Centre. BBC Sky at Night Magazine’s Editor Chris Bramley, who is a judge for the competition, said of this year’s contest: 'With more entries than ever, and so many displaying superb compositions and a spectacular eye for detail, the judges faced a real challenge this year. 'The exhibition will really show the drama and majesty of the night skies – never has our cosmos been captured so beautifully!' http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/...20_964x489.jpg Expanse: A dark lane of dust marks the plane of the Milky Way in this photograph taken by Ben Canales Quote:
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Re: Stunning Stellar Array of Astronomical Pictures
Up close and personal with the 'ring of fire': Amazing pictures show SPACE was the best place to watch rare annular eclipse
By Daily Mail UK Skygazers around the world excitedly gathered outside to watch the rare annular eclipse, which produces a 'ring of fire' around the sun, when it swept across Asia and the western United States on Sunday evening. But these incredible pictures show that all those Earth-bound astronomy fans had it wrong, and that the best vantage point from which to examine the unusual phenomenon was in fact space, where the view could not be impeded by pesky obstructions such as clouds. The photographs were taken by the Japanese-owned Hinode telescope satellite, which orbits the Earth but is constantly pointed at the Sun, allowing for permanent observation of the body at the centre of our solar system. Along with the stunning images, a video has emerged which shows the progress of the moon across the face of the sun, captured by photographer Cory Poole who edited together 700 separate photographs taken with his telescope. Scroll down for video http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...69_964x938.jpg Ideal vantage point: Some of the most stunning pictures of Sunday's annular eclipse were taken from space http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...00_964x946.jpg Satellite: These images were taken by the Japanese-owned Hinode telescope which is constantly pointed at the sun http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...66_964x732.jpg Ring of fire: This satellite image captures the moment where the moon covered nearly the entire face of the sun But the view wasn't too bad from Earth, as the moon slowly 'bit into' the sun, creating incredible visual effects such as a golden heart gleaming through branches in Los Angeles. The annular eclipse, in which the moon passes in front of the sun leaving only a golden ring around its edges, created incredible visual effects around the world - and photographers let their technical imaginations run wild with 'trick' shots such as this heart-shaped sun. The 'classic' view of an annular eclipse is as a burning ring. In the U.S., viewing parties were held at observatories in Reno, Nevada, and Oakland, California, and elsewhere. In some areas, special camera filters for taking photographs have been sold out for weeks in anticipation of the big event. http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...5_964x1342.jpg A branch foregrounds the heart shaped sun during an annular solar eclipse seen from Los Angeles http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...32_964x562.jpg Hikers watch an annular eclipse from Papago Park in Phoenix http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...42_964x518.jpg A small bird rests at a powerline backgrounded by an annular solar eclipse seen from Los Angeles http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...02_964x654.jpg Scottsdale, America: The moon is pictured as it passes between the earth and the sun briefly blocking out most of the sun's surface http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...62_964x633.jpg A thundershower rolls through as an annular solar eclipse appears in Gardnerville, Nevada http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...39_964x586.jpg The eclipse in Wisconsin: The 'annular eclipse' in which the moon passes in front of the sun leaving only a golden ring around its edges, was visible to wide areas across China, Japan and elsewhere in the region before moving across the Pacific to be seen in parts of the western United States http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...04_964x655.jpg A plane flies past an annular solar eclipse from Taguig city, east of Manila, Philippines http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...21_964x790.jpg An annular solar eclipse appears above a Ferris wheel in the sky over Yokohama near Tokyo http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...28_964x665.jpg An annular eclipse appears at a waterfront park in Yokohama, near Tokyo http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...53_964x672.jpg The annular eclipse is visible through binoculars in Sacramento, California http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...12_964x649.jpg The ring of fire: the rare annular eclipse as seen from Albequerqe, New Mexico, one of the western states where it was most visible http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...69_964x535.jpg Stunning: The unusual event stood out against the evening sky in Odessa, Texas http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...19_964x566.jpg Partial eclipse: The moon moving between the earth and the sun, blocking out some of the light http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...60_964x515.jpg Clear: Cloudless skies above the Grand Canyon allowed observers a great view of the astronomic event WHAT CAUSES THE 'RING OF FIRE'? ANNULAR ECLIPSES EXPLAINED Not every eclipse of the Sun is a total eclipse. On occasion the Moon is too small to cover the whole of the Sun. This is because of the Moon's orbit around Earth which is oval or elliptical in shape. As the Moon orbits Earth its distance varies from about 221,000 to 252,000 miles. This 13 per cent variant makes its apparent size, from our perspective, vary by the same amount. If an eclipse occurs while the Moon is on the far side of its elliptical orbit, it appears smaller than the Sun and can't completely cover it - creating the 'ring of fire' effect due this weekend. In Japan, 'eclipse tours' were arranged at schools and parks, on pleasure boats and even private airplanes. Similar events were held in China and Taiwan as well, with skywatchers warned to protect their eyes. People from Colorado, Oklahoma and as far away as Canada traveled to Albuquerque to enjoy one of the best vantage points at a park on the edge of the city. Members of the crowd smiled and cheered and children yelled with excitement as the moon crossed the sun and the blazing halo of light began to form. Some watched the eclipse by placing their viewing glasses on the front of their smartphones. Eventually, the moon centered and covered about 96 percent of the sun. 'That's got to be the prettiest thing I've ever seen,' said Brent Veltri of Salida, Colorado. At the Taipei Astronomical Museum in Taiwan, the spectacle emerged from dark clouds for only about 30 seconds. But the view was nearly perfect against Manila's orange skies. 'It's amazing. We do this for the awe [and] it has not disappointed. I am awed, literally floored,' said astronomical hobbyist Garry Andreassen, whose long camera lenses were lined up with those of about 10 other gazers in a downtown Manila park. Hong Kong skywatchers weren't so lucky. http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...59_964x703.jpg Excitement: A family watches the eclipse from Chico, California - with the precaution of special lenses http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...57_964x470.jpg Hi-tech: A man uses a special film to protect his tablet computer as he photographs the eclipse http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...89_964x856.jpg Even pets need protection: A dog decked out in stylish but practical eyewear to enable him to watch the eclipse from Tokyo The eclipse was broadcast live on TV in Tokyo, where such an eclipse hasn't been visible since 1839. Japanese TV crews watched from the top of Mount Fuji and even staked out a zoo south of Tokyo to capture the reaction of the chimpanzees - who didn't seem to notice. A light rain fell on Tokyo as the eclipse began, but the clouds thinned as it reached its peak, providing near perfect conditions. 'It was a very mysterious sight,' said Kaori Sasaki, who joined a crowd in downtown Tokyo to watch event. 'I've never seen anything like it.' http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...78_964x567.jpg Progression: This image shows how the sky changed above the Pueblo Bonito ancient building at Chaco Culture National Historical Park in Nageezi, Arizona http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...24_964x953.jpg Phases: A composite image of the annular eclipse as seen from Tokyo on Sunday night http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...53_964x614.jpg The big C: The annular solar eclipse is spotted in the sky above Chandler, Arizona http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...53_964x599.jpg Fire in the sky: This photo shows the solar eclipse from downtown Fort Worth, Texas Several hundred people gathered along the Kowloon waterfront on Hong Kong's famed Victoria Harbor, most of them students or commuters on their way to work. The eclipse was already underway as the sun began to rise, but heavy clouds obstructed the view. The eclipse followed a narrow 8,500-mile path for 3 1/2 hours. The ring phenomenon lasted about five minutes, depending on location. People outside the narrow band for prime viewing saw a partial eclipse. 'Ring of Fire' eclipses are not as dramatic as a total eclipse, when the disc of the sun is entirely blocked by the moon. The moon is too far from Earth and appears too small in the sky to blot out the sun completely. http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...78_964x563.jpg What a sight: An aeroplane flies past the annular solar eclipse from Taguig city, east of Manila, Philippines http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...48_964x509.jpg Light show: The eclipse is seen reflected in a pool of water in Beijing, China http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...62_470x582.jpg http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...84_470x582.jpg Awe: From the astronomy student, left, to the gaggle of schoolboys, right, no one could keep their eyes of the phenomenon Doctors and education officials have warned of eye injuries from improper viewing. Before the event started, Japan's Education Minister Hirofumi Hirano demonstrated how to use eclipse glasses in a televised news conference. Police also cautioned against traffic accidents - warning drivers to keep their eyes on the road. http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...58_964x526.jpg Sky stunner: The solar eclipse, in which the moon passes in front of the sun leaving only a golden ring around its edges, is seen briefly during a break in clouds over Taipei, Taiwan http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...-0_964x521.jpg 'I've never seen anything like it': A partial eclipse is seen from Tokyo as the sun and moon aligned over the earth in the rare astronomical event http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...43_964x556.jpg View: A plane flies above the annular solar eclipse in a stunning image from Irving, Texas http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...01_964x599.jpg Path: The eclipse begins in eastern Asia on Monday then crosses the north Pacific to end in western U.S. Watch the stunning time-lapse video YouTube: mrcorypoole |
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