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Winners: Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year
This is the competition category for under-16s.
Winners 2011 | Earth and Space | Our Solar System | Deep Space | Special prizes
Winner
Lunar Eclipse and Occultation by Jathin Premjith (India), age 15
15 June 2011
What the photographer says:
‘I was always fascinated by the coppery-red colour of the Moon during the total lunar eclipse. Also it was interesting to note that not all lunar eclipses are the same, as the colour can change from light red to dark red depending on the position of the Moon and the amount of dust or pollution in the atmosphere at that time.’
Celestron CPC800 203.3mm (8-inch) Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope and a Canon 5D Mark II DSLR camera
What it shows:
A lunar eclipse is a brief alignment of the Sun, Earth and Moon which places the Moon in the Earth’s shadow. Here the Moon is a red colour because it is lit by sunlight which has been filtered through the Earth’s atmosphere. The photograph skilfully captures a second fleeting astronomical event, the moment a star appears from behind the orbiting Moon.
What the judges say:
Rebekah Higgitt says: ‘The judges are always hugely impressed by the quality of the Young Astronomer entries. For me, this is one of the most striking images in the competition. The colour of the eclipsed moon, reflecting the red of sunsets all over Earth, is both delicately beautiful and truly majestic. The photographer has also captured just the right moment, with a bright but tiny star close to occultation.’
Runner-up
Starry Night Sky by Nicole Sullivan (USA), age 15
30 June 2011
What the photographer says:
‘The way the stars move around the North Star fascinates me, so I took the picture to show everyone just how cool it really is.’
Canon 40D DSLR camera
What it shows:
Most stars, like the Sun, appear to move across the sky from east to west as the Earth spins on its axis every twenty-four hours. This long-exposure photograph captures the apparent motion of the stars that seem to circle the area in the sky over the Earth’s North Pole close to the Pole Star.
Highly commended
Winter's Moon by Jessica Caterson (UK), age 15
18 December 2010
What the photographer says:
‘I got into astrophotography through a friend, who saw a programme about taking pictures of stars, and I had a go and thought it was cool. So I started taking interest
in adding astronomy to my pictures where I could. Astronomy has always interested me and I enjoyed learning about it in science at school. By discovering a photography aspect I have appreciated it more and more.’
Nikon D5000 DSLR camera with an 18-55mm lens
What it shows:
While the Moon is most evident in the night sky, it is visible during the daytime for much of its monthly orbit around the Earth. This nearly full Moon, called a waxing gibbous Moon, is rising in the east in a wintery afternoon sky.
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The Moon is a wonderful object to photograph, with constant changes of view throughout the lunar cycle.
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The easiest way to capture star trails is to take one long exposure, of at least 30 minutes.
Nicole: the blue hour
Nicole Sullivan explains her passion for astrophotography which resulted in her Young category entry Starry Night Sky.
Highly commended
Lonely Moon by Peter Pihlmann Pedersen (UK), age 15
9 March 2011
What the photographer says:
‘I took this photo because I have always had an interest in astronomy since a course in astronomy was offered in my school for GCSE. Since then astronomy has been one of my best hobbies.’
Skywatcher 114mm (4.5 inch) Newtonian reflector telescope and a FinePix J250 compact digital camera
What it shows:
Like the Earth, one half of the Moon is always lit by the Sun. It is the relative positions of the Earth, Moon and Sun that determine how much of this illuminated side we see from the Earth. Here a crescent moon displays a sliver of the Moon’s sunny side.
Highly commended
First-Quarter Moon by Tom Chitson (UK), age 15
8 July 2011
What the photographer says:
‘Last year at school, I had the opportunity to do a GCSE in astronomy. Our teacher for astronomy was very enthusiastic and got everyone in the class interested in the subject. From the first day of getting my telescope, I have been taking photos of the Moon, Saturn and Jupiter, all by just pointing a camera through the eyepiece of the telescope.’
Celestron Nexstar 4SE 102mm (4-inch) Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope and a Sony Cybershot W210 compact digital camera
What it shows:
Features on the Moon are easiest to see close to the terminator, the boundary between the sunlit and dark sides. In this photograph the craters and rugged mountain ranges stand out in sharp relief close to the terminator. The smooth, dark areas are lunar maria or ‘seas’, filled with dark lava which solidified billions of years ago.