Charlie Hein
Postmaster
Reged: 11/02/03
Posts: 7965
Loc: 26.06.08N, +80.23.08W
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Welcome to the January 2008 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 February 15th at midnight EST.
Here are the entries for January!
Beginning Imaging's Finalist - Strgazr27:
4 Hours of M81/82.
Intes MN74
Self Modded 40D
80X180sec
Darks, Flats and Bias
IP version 3, Registar and PSCS2
CGE
DSIPro/PHD/GPUSB for guiding
Film Astrophotography's Finalist - AstroBobo:
Here's M42 taken with Pentax 105 SDP and Pentax 6x7 medium format camera on Fuji Provia 400X. This is a composite of three exposures - 40 min, 6 min and 1 min, to show the detail in the brightest part of the nebula. The image is a bit cropped. Also, I left the background slightly brighter on purpose, to show the darker, outer parts of the nebula.
Taken from Petrova Gora, Croatia.
DSLR & Digital Camera Astro Imaging & Processing's Finalist - Mike B.:
8p Tuttle/M33 Encounter
(Click the image for an enlargement.)
Name: Mike Broussard
Location: Maurice, LA
Dates: Oct 6, Dec 4, Dec 30, 2007
Telescope: Televue TV-85 APO w/0.8x Focal Reducer/Field Flattener (F/5.6, 480mm F.L.)
Camera: Hutech Modified Canon 350XT w/IDAS-LPS Front Filter
Mount: Atlas EQ-G w/EQMOD
Guiding: 140mm F/3.6 Schmidt-Newt, DSI Pro, PHD Guiding
Exposure: 81x60 sec @ ISO 1600 of the comet and M33 combined with 30x300 sec @ ISO 1600 of M33 taken with the TV-85 on Dec 4, 2007. Additional 27x180 sec @ ISO 1600 of M33 taken with SN-8 on Oct 6, 2007.
Processing: IRIS, Registar, PS, Gradient XTerminator, Neat Image & Noel Carboni's Astronomy Tools
CCD Imaging & Processing's Finalist - Jim Lafferty:
IC 1805, the "heart" of the Heart Nebula in Narrowband, from Redlands, Ca. Imaged with my FSQ106N and ST2000xm with astrodon filters. Guided on my NJP mount with an sbig e-finder/remote guide head assembly. Ha-SII-Ha-OIII. unbinned for a total exposure time of 14.2 hours,on the nights of November 14, 15, 18, 19, and December 3 and 4, 2007 from my Skyshed POD. Ha was 280 minutes, SII was 280 minutes and OIII was 300 minutes, unbinned. Processed with Maxim DL, CCD Stack, and Photoshop CS2.
Larger version:
http://www.scopetrader.com/Photography/Photos/3880274.jpg
Solar System Imaging's Finalist - iceman:
Clavius Mosaic
Date: 30th December 2007
Location: Central Coast, NSW Australia
Telescope: 12" newt on EQ6
Camera: DMK21AU04 + 5x powermate + astronomik R filter
Full version here. (300kb jpeg)
Sketching Forum's Finalist - Erika Rix:
PCW Memorial Observatory, Lat: 40.01 Long: -81.56
Sun in H-alpha featuring NOAA 10980 and 10981
2008 01 04, 1720UT - 1820UT
Equipment:
DS Maxscope 60mm, 40mm Pro Optic Plossl, 21-7mm Zhumell Zoom, LXD 75
Sketch Media:
Black Strathmore Artagain paper
White Conte’ Crayon and pencil
White Prang pencil
Charcoal
White vinyl eraser
Black pen
Post processing:
Scanned in Photoshop, added contrast and subtracted brightness, resized and arranged collage. Digital sun insert from Tilting Sun program.
Good Luck to all our finalists!
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Beginning Imaging's Finalist - Strgazr27:
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Film Astrophotography's Finalist - AstroBobo:
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DSLR & Digital Camera Astro Imaging & Processing's Finalist - Mike B.:
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CCD Imaging & Processing's Finalist - Jim Lafferty:
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Solar System Imaging's Finalist - iceman:
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Sketching Forum's Finalist - Erika Rix:
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"He's dead, Jim - I'll get his wallet, you get his tricorder." - Leonard "Bones" McCoy
Weston CSC:
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johndouk
member
Reged: 08/24/06
Posts: 24
Loc: Athens, Greece
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WOW !
What a selection trouble again...
I think that every month it gets even more difficult...
Congrats to all! Amazing work !!!
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John
______________________________
Think positive 
www.AstroForum.gr
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mmgoddard
newbie
Reged: 02/11/08
Posts: 2
Loc: Portland, OR
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My first post and all I can say is wow! Fantastic images from everyone...
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astrodude
member
Reged: 10/05/05
Posts: 11
Loc: Sacramento, Ca.
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Simply stunning! All the images are very nice, I really liked the sketching but in the end I voted for the lunar surface (easily the best I have seen).
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Patrick Harrold
Tak FSQ-106n / AP900GTO cp2
http://www.astrodude.com
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boyd
sage
Reged: 11/30/06
Posts: 307
Loc: Florida
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All make my feeble efforts look...err...well...feeble 
bravo to all!
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XT8
ETX70AT
C80EQ
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Mike B
Starstruck
Reged: 04/06/05
Posts: 5205
Loc: shake, rattle, & roll, CA
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A truly brutal decision... they were ALL incredible!
Way to go, everyone 
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"I have been paddling in the shallows of a great ocean of knowledge." - Sir Isaac Newton
* * 15" F4.55 Starsplitter Dob & a Denk II binoviewer * *
 Pacheco State Park
 Fremont Peak
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sam32
super member
Reged: 07/26/06
Posts: 121
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There were at least 3 that I thought were amazing. I felt guilty just picking one. Keep up the truly excellent work all !!
Sam
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Nick Cook
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/28/06
Posts: 1239
Loc: Somerset, England
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That was a very tough choice. Erica – your solar sketches just get better and better. However, with so many fantastic entries and a lot of head scratching, in the end I had to go for Mike B. That was a fantastic composition to pull off. Congrats.
Nick
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Meade 14" RCX + Astro Physics 0.75 Reducer (27TVPH)
Meade 5000 ED80 APO (Guider/widefield)+ WO 0.8 Reducer
William Optics Zenithstar 66 Petzal
SBig STL11000M + AO-L + 3" Pyxis Rotator + 3" PDF Focuser
Canon 20Da + IDAS Filter
Pulsar 9ft Dome
www.nick-cook.net
www.cavebear.co.uk
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Middle Age Man
member
Reged: 07/12/07
Posts: 38
Loc: Northern NJ
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I wish my results could be even a quarter as good as these are.
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Hardin 10" DSH
Celestron C-8
Celestron Nextar 8 GPS
William Optics 66SD
Meade 2080
Meade LXD-75
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ilias200400
newbie
Reged: 02/07/07
Posts: 4
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Fantastic images!
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Ibmelrod
newbie
Reged: 10/18/04
Posts: 1
Loc: Ontario Canada
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I would have voted for all of them if it were allowed. Each is deserving of a big shout-out. Wow!
Mel R.
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Mel R.
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m.r.memarian
super member
Reged: 10/01/07
Posts: 122
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Hi,
Ultra tough decision! Brilliant Pictures. 
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NightSKY 20x80 Binocular(Broken)
SkyWatcher SkyLiner 200 (8",f/5.91 Dob)
10mm&25mm Skywatcher Super Plossls,Skywatcher 8-24mm Zoom,
Hyperion 13mm, Hyperion 8mm
Vixen 2X Short Barlow with T thread
Astronomik UHC Filter 1.25"
Orion SteadyPix, Green Laser Pointer
Celestron SkyScout IYA2009 Edition
Softwares : Stellarium , RedShift 6 , Celestia
Next Targets :Vixen LVW-17mm , LVW-22mm or Hyperions 
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Illinois
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/18/06
Posts: 693
Loc: near Chicago, Illinois USA
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All is good! Diffcult for me to just one vote! Sketching the Sun is really great! I picked M33 and comet because its so rare to have both in one photo!
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Astronomer since 1975!
Orion 80mm ED refractor and
iOptron CubePro mount
Meade 16" Lightbridge Dobsonian
Orion 10" SkyQuest Classic Dobsonian
Tele Vue Eyepieces
Canon EOS XS 1000D
Orion Planetary 5 mm and
Orion Expanse Wide-Field 6mm eyepiece
4.5" F5 Reflector since 1982!
Orion Narrowband and SkyGlow filters
Member of IDA, let's fight light pollution!
Old Edmund 6"F8...donated to cousins
Super Polaris C8...donated to Byron Observatory in Illinois
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Saso
newbie
Reged: 11/05/06
Posts: 1
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This is really hard to decide. I also picked M33 and comet not only because is rare but because I like it very much. Moon shot is also fantastic. And others too of course.
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F.Meiresonne
Post Laureate
Reged: 12/22/03
Posts: 3361
Loc: Eeklo,Belgium
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Extra-ordinary pictures.
Especially Clavius, what a detail and that with a 12" newt....just incredible...
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Freddy Meiresonne
Obsession 18 inch #1638
Orion Optics 8 inch F/4.5 -1/8 wave optics -Vixen GP-E
20x80 Helios Stellar Binos
15x70 TS Marine (=Obie Ultra)
10x60 Helios Quantum 4(= Obie Mariner)
10x50 Helios Nature sport plus
8x40 Helios Nature sport plus
Eyepieces in use :Pan 35,24,19, N13T6, Pentax 10 XW, N9T6, Ultrascopic 7.5, TV2, baader ortho 12.5 and 9 mm
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Philz
member
Reged: 09/14/06
Posts: 15
Loc: Mount Gambier, Australia
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Chosing only one was too hard, I voted for the Lunar shot, great detail to the others all I can say is Im not worthy
Phil
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Sol
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/20/07
Posts: 1958
Loc: Powys, Wales, UK
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M33 and Comet for me too as that was not only technically difficult and brilliantly executed, but an extremely rare event.
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Visit the Sunnymeade Astro Solar Blog
http://sunnymeadeastro.blogspot.com/
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David Culp
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 04/10/07
Posts: 1177
Loc: Carrollton, TX
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How come there isnt an "all of the above" button?
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Atoka, Ok
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mblack
Throw me a bone here
Reged: 10/31/05
Posts: 3435
Loc: Naples, Florida
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My choice was easy 
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Dave B.
"Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others." Groucho Marx
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FAB
Stargeezer
Reged: 08/06/04
Posts: 2498
Loc: Blythe, CA USA
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Clavius has always fascinated me. It still does, even after voting for it. A great bunch of imaging. Congratulations to all.
FAB
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Floie
10.0" Hardin Dob
6.0" Konus Refractor
3.0" Celestron Tabletop Newtonian
10X50 Binoculars
Amscope T490A Trinocular Compound Microscope
Amscope SW2T13Y Trinocular Stereo Micoscope
http://home.earthlink.net/~blhtvl
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john D
All you have to do is ask!!
Reged: 08/05/07
Posts: 5449
Loc: Midlothian, VA
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Strgazr27 shot was great!
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Meade ETX-125
Meade LXD55 mount
Philips SPC900NC webcam
Some Accessories!
My Blog
 -Midlothian VA
--Land Of The Free Because Of The Brave--
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John Jenks
newbie
Reged: 02/07/08
Posts: 1
Loc: New Jersey
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I'll go with the simple beauty M81/M82. But the others I would love to print and hang in the office. I do some photo stuff and I'm sooooo jealous. Great job guys.
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kcgolden
super member
Reged: 04/01/07
Posts: 112
Loc: Austin, TX
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The moon mosaic by "iceman" is so cool. It almost has a 3 dimensional effect and makes me feel as though I'm a few miles above the surface!
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Photon
sage
Reged: 03/10/06
Posts: 274
Loc: Aurora, Colorado, USA
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I have to protest. These are fanatastic -- all of them. I can't choose. In fact, I don't think we should be pitting photos against sketches. That's kind of like having a contest where a gymnast competes against a singer -- who's better?
That's my humble opinion, anyway... Pete
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Orion 120mm f/5 achro refractor
10" Homebuilt Dob for backyard use
5.1" Newt on equatorial mount in the RV
Telrad finders on both
Celestron Nexstar 6SE
7x50 Oberwerk binoculars
Edited by Photon (02/14/08 09:21 PM)
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Carol L
Reged: 07/05/04
Posts: 6034
Loc: Tomahawk, WI 45N//89W
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Mike's 'Clavius' image is my favorite..
absolutely stunning!
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 Authoring the monthly AstroSketch page in "Sky at Night" magazine
Lunar Sketch Tutorial
CN Gallery
Photo Gallery
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cocobolo
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/27/07
Posts: 1550
Loc: british columbia, canada
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We owe a debt of gratitude to everyone who has gone to so much trouble to produce all these great images. I had an awful time trying to pick just one. I think it would be better if we could vote for 1-2-3-4-5 and have a simple weighted system to tally up the winner. Kind of like figure skating. All the scores from all the judges are added up to get a better overall average. Just a thought. A HUGE thank you to all the participants. Keith
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insinu8
sage
Reged: 01/22/08
Posts: 408
Loc: Sunnyvale, CA
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Each was spectacular, so it wasn't an easy choice. I had to keep going back to each one to ponder on it a while.
The one that I came back to most frequently though, was Clavius, so that's my vote.
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Christopher
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AT66ED
ED80
120ST (Moonlit)
NP127is
TMB 130SS
MN55 (Moonlit)
150MCT
TEC160ED (DOB: 11.06.08)
SN8
MN86
C9.25 (Moonlit)
XT10 Dob
Obsession 18"UC
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w orchid
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 04/23/07
Posts: 832
Loc: Tampa, Fl
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Awesome job guys.
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Celestron C8 orange tube circa 1982
Stellarvue SV102ED
Celestron NS1100GPS
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sunnynights
member
Reged: 08/26/06
Posts: 23
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-Another vote for "they were all magnificent" category. They all had exceptional strong points. Uh, is there any chance the T-shirt could be divided five ways? Or maybe just give out five this month?
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tubie
newbie
Reged: 02/10/08
Posts: 1
Loc: ILLINOIS, USA
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Yes, all are magnificent, stunning and spectacular. Every one is a winner.
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gripweed44
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 02/12/05
Posts: 952
Loc: PDX
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WOW
all of these are absolutely GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Heres to all of your great work!!
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John
Omega Centauri is the finest Globular I have seen with my own eyes.
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Yossi Hury
member
Reged: 08/21/07
Posts: 13
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I would shoose the lunar picture, but ERIKA'S sketch is hard to beat.
YOSSI
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jarbi
newbie
Reged: 12/31/06
Posts: 1
Loc: Belgium
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Hi,
All amazing pictures, very difficault to choose. My vote goes to iceman - a breathtaking close-up !
cheers,
Janos
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Skywatcher 10" DOB
EQ6 coming soon
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JMG
newbie
Reged: 01/17/08
Posts: 1
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Jim Lafferty's Heart Nebula in Narrowband is the favorite.
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star toucher
member
Reged: 12/16/06
Posts: 20
Loc: Eolia, Missouri
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Can 6 t-shirts be awarded? But (sigh) as always I am forced to choose only one -- it wasn't easy.....
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Dark, Steady, Transparent Skies...
StarToucher
Celestron C-8
Celestron 80mm ST
Orion XT-10
Burgess 20x100 Binocs
Burgess Parallelogram Mount
Starmaster 14.5 DOB
ScopeBuggy
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Bernard Murdoch
member
Reged: 01/13/08
Posts: 85
Loc: Montreal
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This is my first time voting. All the images are outstanding and I can't really tell which is technically the most difficult. Yes, I know, they all are! Anyhow, I just voted from the Wow! side of the brain. 
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Skywatcher 8" f5 Newt
Celestron C80ED
Antares Sentinel 80mm
EQ6 Pro
Mod. Canon 20D, Meade DSI
Baader MPCC
IDAS LP2
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Erix
Toad Lily
Reged: 12/25/04
Posts: 22347
Loc: Ohio, USA
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Quote:
That was a very tough choice. Erica – your solar sketches just get better and better. However, with so many fantastic entries and a lot of head scratching, in the end I had to go for Mike B. That was a fantastic composition to pull off. Congrats.
Nick
Thanks, Nick. The Sun has been such an interesting target to learn about and I've been having fun trying to make as accurate recordings as I can in the process.
Mike B's M33 and Tuttle is fantastic as well as the others. This imaging contest is certainly helping to show what amazing images can be achieved by amateurs with a variety of tools. Well done, everyone!
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Erika
Automatic doors make me feel like a Jedi. 
Zhumell 16", 10" LX200 Classic,Orion ED80, ETX70-AT, DS Maxscope 60mm
My CN Gallery * 2007 July - tracking NOAA10963
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zantespear
member
Reged: 09/07/06
Posts: 41
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I simply can 't vote... they are all amazing
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Spyros Milonas
Athens-Zakynthos
Greece.
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astroleo
journeyman
Reged: 04/16/07
Posts: 5
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Amazing Pics.. I envy all the contestents, but appreciate their dedication and hardwork in producing these pics..
I have just started with Astroimaging, hence my vote goes to Strgazr27 
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Sriram
Celestron CPC 9.25 XLT
Celestron Starseeker 80mm
Homemade Dob 8"
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Jon Munson
member
Reged: 12/29/05
Posts: 17
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OK, I have no idea how difficult any of these shots were to obtain. I can, however, see that a great deal of work went into each. Awesome stuff folks! I really had a difficult time picking any one, so it basically came down to a "coin toss" type decision!
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Ishtim
sage
Reged: 11/10/07
Posts: 227
Loc: N. Alabama, USA
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Nice work All..... I still like to see how much one can "squeeze" out of minimal equipment!!!!!
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Lewis Smith Lake Observatory
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skydog
member
Reged: 08/24/06
Posts: 38
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Truely outstanding work all...I have to go with the sketch this time, but my goodness that was a hard decision.
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15X80 Orion Binoculars
114mm Celestron NexStar
One of the last 12" Certified DBA dobs
Omni XLT120 on CG4
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tbond
newbie
Reged: 10/18/07
Posts: 1
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All the pictures are awesome, cheers to all. But Jim Lafferty definately has an edge.
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Adventurer
professor emeritus
Reged: 11/22/07
Posts: 730
Loc: Amman, Jordan
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No choice can be made, all are wonderful!
sorry
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"man is not made for defeat....A man can be destroyed but not defeated"
Regards
Rasim Ramadan
Home made 10 inches reflector.
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mill1599
newbie
Reged: 11/12/07
Posts: 2
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They are all excellent.
My vote to Clavius Mosaic.
mill1599
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RobVG
professor emeritus
Reged: 01/09/06
Posts: 738
Loc: Seattle Washington
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Did everyone get the email on the 14th 
My vote would have been "Clavius".
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C11 SGT(XLT)CG-5
Observatory (page 5)
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boogie
member
Reged: 04/30/07
Posts: 73
Loc: Israel
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Quote:
WOW !
What a selection trouble again...
I think that every month it gets even more difficult...
Congrats to all! Amazing work !!!
Seconded ...
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"A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools."
"It's at times like this, when I'm stuck in a Vogon airlock with a man from Betelegeuse about to die of asphyxiation in deep space, that I really wish I'd listened to what my mother told me when I was little."
"Why, what did she tell you?"
"I don't know, I didn't listen!"
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stkoepke
sage
Reged: 01/11/08
Posts: 286
Loc: Abilene, Texas
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WOW!!!
They are all Great!!  
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Tim
God's Guidance
An Undestanding Wife - PRICELESS!!
C6R - Thanks Astronomics!!
Meade ETX 60AT-BB
Meade 70AZ-A
Meade Starfinder 8" Dob.
Criterion RV-6 Dynascope - 6" f8 Newtonian
"Brother's" old Jason 60mm AZ
Lots of help from reading "Cloudy Nights" posts,
and Lots of Patience learned over time...
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