Telescope Reviews: Nov 09 Beg & Intrmd Challenge Rules & Comments

Welcome to the Cloudy Nights Monthly Imaging Challenge in the Beginning and Intermediate Imaging Forum. This competition is intended to be a fun way for you to improve your imaging abilities and a way for you to see many new images with a variety of equipment. All beginning and intermediate imagers are welcome and encouraged to enter.

There are two categories in the Beginning Challenge: a Beginner Category, for those brand new to imaging, and an Intermediate Category, for those who have graduated from Beginner but are not yet ready for the Advanced category. In each of the Beginner and Intermediate Catergories there are two challenges:- a "Bright" object challenge (a planetary, lunar or similar object that can be imaged with an unmodified webcam, "LPI" type imager, or a digicam - in short, a camera that is not capable of long exposures) and a "DSO" object challenge (for nebulas, galaxies and the like, which must be captured by a camera capable of long exposures).

Each month an object will be selected in each Challenge by the winner in that Challenge from 2 months previous. Having a one month delay allows voting and selection of the next object and will give a full month's time for entries.

For November the subjects are:
"Beginner Bright"- Belt of Venus
"Beginner DSO" - M45
"Intermediate Bright"- Uranus and moons (keep the sophomoric stuff in this thread and within the bounds of the TOS. Otherwise, have fun with it. Oh, and any comments that violate the TOS shall be wiped!)
"Intermediate DSO"- IC405 "The Flaming Star"

Good hunting and shoot straight.

The winning image in each category will be included in the Hall of Fame message thread. There are no other prizes. Please include your imaging details such as location, date, telescope, guiding, exposure time, etc with your submission.

Rules:

1. Have fun! Support other contestants and be polite with your comments.
2. All entries must be captured within the same imaging season. For example, if the December target is the Orion Nebula, you must use images taken during the current winter, not any other year. For Lunar targets the image must have been captured within the 12 months preceding the
date of submission
3. 3. Image size is limited to 800x800 pixels and 100k in size. The image may either be posted in the appropriate thread, or you may use UBB code to import the image from another site on the web. Imported images must meet the size criteria.
4. A separate submission thread will be created for each category. Please post your submissions in the proper thread.
5. Please do not post comments in the submission threads. You may post your comments about the submissions here in this thread.
6. Any equipment is allowed to be used in the images including rental equipment.
7. All image taking and development must be done by you. The one exception to this is that husband/wife teams are permitted.
8. Each person (or husband/wife team) may submit only 1 entry per month in each category. However, you may edit your submission and replace the image with a newer one if you wish using the Edit function. The edit function is available for three days after the original post. After that contact one of your moderators.
9. If you win a Beginning Challenge 2 times (2 times for DSO or 2 times for Bright Objects), you will officially "Graduate" from that Challenge Category and may no longer submit images in the category that you have "Graduated" from. If you win th Intermediate Challenge 3 times, you will officially "Graduate" from that category. This is intended to encourage successfulimagers to continue to sharpen their skills and increase their level of challenge, and also to give those who have not yet won one a clear shot at the title! When determining how to cast your vote in the beginner or intermediate challenge polls, it is encouraged that consideration be given to what the entrant's actual skills are. For example, advanced imagers, entering the beginner challenge just because they are permitted to do so by the rules, should be judged accordingly. We also caution that: some true beginners enter stunning images.

These rules may be changed each month as we figure out how to make this a more enjoyable experience for everyone.

Now polar align those mounts and get to capturin' some images!

Good Luck!

--------------------
Knucklhead Astronomer
Obession 18 Classic named "Ed"
Observing Reports by Knuk

Edited by knuklhdastnmr (11/11/09 12:50 AM)