Greg K.
   
Reged: 12/11/03
Posts: 9933
Loc: Clifton Park, NY
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Ok guys.. I know I'm running way behind this month, getting sick and then getting overloaded at work will do that to you. Next month we should get back on track.
But better late than never: Here is the January 2007 Cloudy Nights Imaging/Sketching Contest poll.
Each month the best images selected from the individual Cloudy Nights Imaging and Sketching forums will be presented for the userbase to vote on. The monthly winner receives the coveted Cloudy Nights t-shirt! At the conclusion of the poll, the entry with the highest total will be the winner of the contest..
Please choose your favorite out of all the images. This poll will remain open through Wednesday, February 28th at midnight EST.
Here are the entries for January!
Jason Aldridge - Sketching Forum Subject: Lunar Crater Langrenus Location: North Port, FL Date/Time: 1/5/07 - 2230-0025 EST Instrument: 8" Zhumell Dobsonian Eye Piece: 6mm Orion Expanse + 2x Barlow Sketching Material: Strathmore Sketch Paper, 0.5mm #2 HB Mechanical Pencil Software: MGI Photosuite III

Corn - DSLR & Digital Camera Astro Imaging & Processing Rosette nebula Scope: 8" Newt with MPCC and UHC Mount: EQ6 Pro Camera: 300D(IR mod) Exposure: Mosaic of two images 2x9x600s ISO800 Loc: 2006/12/17 Uppsala/Sweden/Walter

MichaelW - CCD Imaging & Processing Target: M1 Exposure: LRGB 40':Ha 120' Location: Washoe Zephyr Observatory, Nevada Sky Quality Meter reading: 20.33 @ 4*f Date: 01/15/2007 & 01/16/2007 Time: 1900 - 2400 & 0000 - 0130 Camera: SBIG ST2000XM, AO-L, Astrodon MOAG, SBIG remote head Temperature: -20c (practically not working at all ) Filters: Astrodon LRGB + 6nm Ha Scope: Vixen VC200L @ 1800mm, 200mm f9 FOV: 16.9 x 22.6 Image Scale: .86 Mount: AP1200, not PEM trained yet. ~10 pixel +/- PE deviation @ .86 arc sec per pixel. Reduction: Maxim DL, 12 darks median combined from library Processing: Adobe PS CS2, levels and curves, dust and scratches, despeckle and very, very mild smart sharpen over the entire image.
I combined HaR and HaRL to create this image. HaR for the red layer, HaRL as luminance. Luminance layer was mixed at 40%. Much more and I began to wash out colors.

rumples riot - Solar System Imaging & Processing Sunspots 930 & 933. Scope: Imaged with double stacked PST Camera: DMK21AF04 at 30fps Barlow: 2.5x TV Powermate processed in Registax4 best 400 frames. false coloured in PST
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Jason Aldridge - Sketching Forum
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Corn - DSLR & Digital Camera
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MichaelW - CCD Imaging & Processing
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rumples riot - Solar System Imaging & Processing
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macastronomer
super member
Reged: 04/27/05
Posts: 135
Loc: Rochester, MN
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What a tough call. These are all great. I love the sketch, it's not just trying to mimic a perfect lunar surface, but capturing the actual view through the scope with the impedance of the atmosphere is really original. Kudos!
The Rosette is a tough subject, dim and large. Nicely captured and processed!
Nice use of filters on the crab nebula.
And the sunspots!! Honorable mention! This image is alive and I love the title too. Aren't the DMK cameras great?!
-------------------- Macastronomer Group
MacAstronomer
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SamvdHeijden
sage
Reged: 08/17/06
Posts: 380
Loc: The Netherlands
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I love the sketch!
-------------------- Sam
-Skywatcher 90mm F10 refractor
-Canon Eos 350D + Sigma 17-70 F2.8-4.5 & Canon EF 70-300 IS USM
www.samvanderheijden.com
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ngc2289
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 04/13/05
Posts: 1725
Loc: SouthTexas
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What the lunar sketch reminds me of is the pictures they put in 19th century books. Before they could do photo.'s they used sketchs like this one. The sketch has a real classical feel. I really like that Lunar sketch!!!!!
-------------------- Mike Traub(Mr. Congeniality): I've learned that I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy it!:Shipfitters mottos; Cut to suit, pound to fit, paint to hide!: If it dosen't fit get a bigger hammer!......Retired and BROKE!!!!!Refractors are like a fine wine!They just get better with age!!!!!! :SV102ED(Light Hawk):SV Nighthawk Classic(Tenchi[Heaven&Earth]):Vixen GP: SV M-1 & AT Voyager alt-az mounts.
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WadeVC
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/02/05
Posts: 2776
Loc: Lodi, California,
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Although I liked all of them, and was quite impressed by the photographs, to me there is just a certain appeal for observers who still posses the skill of sketching their observations.
My vote therefore goes to Jason Aldridge for his sketch of the crater Langrenus.
--------------------
Orion XTi10 f/4.7
Orion XTi8 f/5.9
Meade NGC 70mm f/10
Orion UltraView 10x50 Wide-Angle Binoculars
My Sketch Gallery
My Astronomy Blog
A wise man can see more from the bottom of a well than a fool can from a mountain top.
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Laurel
super member
   
Reged: 02/11/07
Posts: 130
Loc: Iowa,USA
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They're all awsome but the sketch is unique and original.
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veleik
newbie
Reged: 05/24/06
Posts: 2
Loc: Norway
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The composition of the sun spot image is nice! Good contrast and colors.
-------------------- Meade Premiere 2080, starblast and a pair of 10x50.
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sunnynights
member
Reged: 08/26/06
Posts: 22
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These are wonderful selections. I voted for the Rosette because of the three-dimensional feel to it and felt the starpoints in the center added to the image. The others were outstanding, particularly the sunspot images. All would be deserving of victory and all show talent. Keep up the good work!
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MKS
newbie
Reged: 02/23/07
Posts: 1
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The Lunar sketch is the one! Great eye for detail. MKS "Forget the weather. Study the Climate." --Hari Seldon
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albireo88
newbie
Reged: 01/19/07
Posts: 1
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The Rosette is wonderful! I voted for it.
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biggles
super member
Reged: 10/12/06
Posts: 103
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Well, I think the standard is very high reflecting the time and effort spent gaining and processing the photographs, but for me, the Lunar sketch gives me such pleasure to view, that is again enhanced when I also consider what a sense of achivement it must of given to the drawer!...Fantastic!!!...and thats from a 'dyed-in-the-wool' photo man!
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Olivier Biot
Amused
   
Reged: 04/25/05
Posts: 14267
Loc: 51°N (Belgium)
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Tough call. Congrats to all the artists!
Cheers 
Olivier
-------------------- Tal-200K (#199) with JMI NGF-Mini2M focuser on GEM3 Astro-Tech AT80ED on Orion Sirius EQ-G with EQDIR & home made wireless EQDIRECT Celestron Regal LX 8x42 & 10x42 Helios 15x70
ATM 14" f/5 (designing mirror cell and filter wheel/focuser) ATM 10" f/6 Portable Truss (polishing) ATM 10" f/25 Dall-Kirkham (primary: polishing, secondary: #120 grit)
AstroForecast
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Mike WDF
member
Reged: 10/26/05
Posts: 24
Loc: Missouri- USA
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The sketch is absolutely marvelous! The others are also very good. My hat off to you all!!
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bkushner
Carpal Tunnel
   
Reged: 11/26/06
Posts: 1719
Loc: Audubon New Jersey
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Tough call is right! Sketch is amazing. Photos are gorgeous. Can they all win?
Brian
-------------------- Celestron C80ED/SLT Mount/CG-5GT/SkyScout
Starmaster 18" DOB
Orion XT12i
Lightbridge 16"
Meade SN8"
Coronado PST
Stellarvue BV3 Bino's
Mallincam Hyper Color Plus
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dvb
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 06/18/05
Posts: 1896
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All truly amazing. I'm edging to the Rosette -- amazing detail, caught with real-world equipment.
-------------------- Skywatcher 10" f/4.7 Newt on Matilda
Skywatcher 10" f/4.7 Collapsible Dob
Meade 8" SN f/4
Celestron C8 SCT
Celestron C6 SCT
Skywatcher ED100
Skywatcher ED80
EQ6 Pro "Matilda"
AT Voyager
Skymaster 15x70
Mallincam HyperColor Plus
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DarrenT
newbie
Reged: 05/25/06
Posts: 1
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Wow! I love the sketch, it has that atmosperic boil that we all expect at 400X. That being said, I love the field of view of the Rosette and for some reason, always love diffraction spikes on bright stars. Big, wide field full of detail, a very nicely processed image. The crab has a lot of color and I like it as well. The sunspots, very busy and very detailed. It's a tough call!
Darren
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Brian Albin
Seeker
Reged: 08/22/06
Posts: 476
Loc: Western Oregon
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I like the study of lines of energy flux on the sun. You guys who study the sun have probably seen this dozens of times, but it is new for me.
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varmint
I invite more abuse
   
Reged: 02/10/07
Posts: 765
Loc: Pacifica, CA, USA
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These are all tough to vote on. I chose the sun spots image. It looks like they're reaching out for each other...wonderful image (and a great title).
-------------------- Clear Skies,
Jim
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"Do, or do not. There is no try."-Jedi Master Yoda
Scopes: CGE925, Orion 80ED (w/ADM MDS&Rings)
EPs: Naglers: 31, 22, 17, 9, 3.5 Pans: 15
Misc: Telrad, 2x&4x Powermate, Sol/OIII/UHC/Var Pol. Filters
Imaging Gear: Pentax K100D, SPC900NC
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CosmoQ
super member
Reged: 08/26/06
Posts: 142
Loc: NH
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All of them are truly works of art! I'd like to suggest you have separate contests for sketches and photos. They are such different mediums and requires very different talents. just my Dave
-------------------- Meade LX90, Fujinon FMT-SX 16X70 Binos, and WO ZS 110 TMB/EZTouch Mount
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gb2002
super member
Reged: 02/16/07
Posts: 107
Loc: Myrtle Beach ,SC
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Another vote for the sketch. I wish I could draw that well. Jason has really found his element.
George
-------------------- George Baker
Orion 6 EQ
Denver Observing Chair
My Messier Hunt
43 Down 67 to go....
I love my Telrad!
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