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
--
"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 Pan’s: 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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Hambone
sage
   
Reged: 10/10/05
Posts: 440
Loc: Martin, TN
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They are all fantastic images. I can't imagine the work that went into the sketch. The Crab and Rosette have great detail but the solar image is what reached out and grabbed me.
-------------------- 8" Sky View Pro
60MM Meade (used very little now)
Golden Pond Kentucky
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rusirius6278
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 11/03/06
Posts: 1722
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...another vote for the Rosette...simply awesome...
Jim
-------------------- current scopes
Vixen ED103SWT
Vixen ED102S
C-102AZ/HD
StarMax 127
Jason 60/11.7
UO HD Abbe Orthos - 5mm, 6mm, 7mm, 9mm
Older UO Ortho - 4mm
Celestron 2x Ultima Barlow
and many other scopes i`ve been fortunate enough to check out...
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nitroexpress
professor emeritus
   
Reged: 12/16/06
Posts: 534
Loc: Hemet, calif
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GREAT pics.....one and all.......i would second the idea to have a sketch of the mo.........and a pic of the mo.....gary
-------------------- "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away."
10in Zhumell-$15/ push to circles-flocked tube
8in-c8-on a Meade GoTo EQ mount with a cg-5 Tripod
5in Meade with goto...
2in Gilbert reflector (1955 or so)
7x35 binos
Orion 100mm X 600mm Achromatic Refractor
Sac8-2 ccd camera
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lunartic65
sage
Reged: 12/26/06
Posts: 334
Loc: Dublin Ireland
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I voted for Jason's sketch, though Michael's Crab Nebula came a close second. Jason has an amazing eye for detail and to draw such an image with a dob with no tracking is even more remarkable.
Paul
-------------------- Paul
Four weddings and a funeral, where's the difference?
Al Bundy
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Goncalo Lemos
newbie
Reged: 11/11/05
Posts: 1
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I love that sketch! It reminds me of the good old days that you had to draw your own maps of the sky. The time needed to do that must me recognised. Congrats!
____________________
Goncalo Lemos Sphinx SXW Vixen R150S Marinha Grande - PORTUGAL
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Richard Scott
professor emeritus
Reged: 07/25/06
Posts: 708
Loc: Tampa FL
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The sketch!
-------------------- 11” Celestron XLT SCT
Orion ED80 APO
CG-5 GEM
JMI NGF-CM Focuser
Orion SSDSI
Meade DSI Pro
an assortment of 1.25” & 2" stuff
all tucked inside the Blue Moon Observatory
http://tinyurl.com/29b9wn
Basically more scope than my abilities warrant
"I know I can never look upon the stars without wondering why the whole world does not become astronomers."
Thomas Wright
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ving
journeyman
Reged: 01/09/06
Posts: 9
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its like coffee vs a good book.... you cant compare them. sunspots are a winner tho but i have to amire the sketch. its great! very dali.
go paul!
-------------------- www.iceinspace.com.au
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RichardHK
sage
Reged: 11/25/06
Posts: 392
Loc: Hong Kong
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A last minute vote for the Flash Gordon sketch! Lovely.
-------------------- Richard Entwistle, Hong Kong
ETX-125, SV90TBV, & PST scopes
Canon 15x50-IS & Fujinon 7x50 bins
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ADS-Netphen
newbie
Reged: 11/19/06
Posts: 2
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All that sharpness an fine deatils in 'rumples riot' combined with a warm yellow is exactly what I want to see this rainy winter.
Carsten
-------------------- Viele Grüße
Carsten Moos
Antares Dachsternwarte Netphen, Germany
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Jim D
newbie
Reged: 10/23/06
Posts: 4
Loc: Ceara, Brazil - KSA
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Tough call as each image is unique and took much time and work. Much appreciate the effort! For its mesmerizing effect I have to go with "rumples riot".
-------------------- N102GT, N114GT, N8i
DS127EC, DS60EC
TV Oracle, Ray's Brackets,
VideoAstronomy
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Jaycin
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/09/06
Posts: 2140
Loc: SW FLorida, USA
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First of all, congratulations to Corn for a well deserved win! 
I would like to thank all of you for the wonderful comments about my sketch. I can't believe that so many of you actually voted for it. Your kind words are worth more to me than any T-shirt (even a CN one ).
While I agree that comparing sketches to images is apples to oranges, I feel that the exposure the Sketching Forum gets from these contests is more important than winning the contest itself. We astro-sketchers are not a very competitive bunch, and we enjoy sharing our observations, techniques, and helping one another to improve our observational and drawing skills. I hope that some of you will stop by the Sketching Forum to see the extraordinary observations and artwork that is posted daily (and by many more talented folks than myself). Perhaps some of you will even take up astro-sketching for yourselves. Now that would be a big win for the Sketching Forum! 
Thank you all again, and clear skies!
Jason Aldridge
-------------------- Jason
Zhumell 8" Dobsonian
60mm Meade Telestar
Sketching the Cosmos
Messier countdown: 102 down, 8 to go!
Yalta Observatory- North Port, FL
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spaceblanket
member
Reged: 01/14/06
Posts: 69
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Darn missed the contest. My fav & vote was for Jason Aldridge...They were all great...but Im old fashioned give me the ol eyepiece and a sketch book - Love instant gratification Astronomy = imaging - sometimes the data is a bit tortured/massaged tho. Thanks SB !!!
-------------------- http://www.cloudynights.com/photopost/showgallery.php?ppuser=14519&cat=500
http://shallowsky.com/stack/
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Corn
Carpal Tunnel
   
Reged: 12/27/04
Posts: 2198
Loc: Sweden
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Thanks Jason (and all who voted/commented on my image). I am glad so many liked the image.
I kind of was waiting on the official result post here before posting my self but since the image is on display on the first page of this site I take that as an official go ahead .
Cheers
-------------------- Canon 300D (mod)
8" f/5 Skywatcher, EQ6 Pro, HEQ5 and Barn door mount.
http://web.telia.com/~u18524382/
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