4 ms·

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2024 winners

141 points by helsinkiandrew 2y ago

TomK32 2y ago
Again no category for the farside of the moon.
lionkor 2y ago
The one that struck me the most is the ISS in front of the Sun - somehow that always gets me.
- agos 2y ago
  I've seen a couple of shots of the ISS in front of the Sun before - always very impressive, but man, the perspective on this one. Incredible photography
  - rqtwteye 2y ago
    That’s actually not that hard. You need a long lens. there are a few websites that tell you when the ISS crosses the sun in your area with exact time of the crossing. When the time comes, you set up your camera with a solar filter and do a burst for a few seconds. I have done it a few times and I am always surprised that it works. While taking the pictures you see nothing so you have to totally rely on the exact time. But it always works out. Same for the moon.
- hoseja 2y ago
  I was somewhat surprised at the scale. The station appears quite big compared to the sun's disk, doesn't it? These astronomical conjunctions are always useful when trying to internalize the geometry in the Solar system.
  - gus_massa 2y ago
    Relevant xkcd https://xkcd.com/1276/ https://xkcd.com/1276/ in spite it doesn't have the ISS. The projection from the center of the Earth is 109m/(6380+408)Km*6380Km = 102m (336ft), similar to the projection of Neptune. But the angular size in your eyes maped to the Earth surface is 109m/408Km*6380Km = 1.7Km (1.0 mi) similar to the projection of Jupiter. For objects that are far enough both calculations are equivalent, but for the size in a photo I think the second is the relevant one.
- gambiting 2y ago
  It reminds me of Outer Wilds(the video game).
reedf1 2y ago
Any idea how they manage to get clearly defined nebulae in the skyscapes? I've never seen it before; is it a new technique, filter or a composite of smaller angle shots?
- pridkett 2y ago
  It’s almost always stacking. This type of photography has recently become much more approachable thanks to products like the SeeStar S50/S30 and the Dwarf 3. These are smarter devices that can find and image most anything in the sky for you. And they retail for under $500. You won’t be as good as these photos or people who send $10k rigs to be remotely operated at Starfront[0] in Brady, Texas - but you’ll be impressed with what you can get from almost anywhere. [0]: https://starfront.space/ https://starfront.space/
- illwrks 2y ago
  My guess is very precise tracking to counter the earths orbit, long exposures, sensitive image sensors, massive lenses to capture the light, a remote location and luck.
  - illwrks 2y ago
    There’s an overview from the winner here: https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/beads-sunlight-photographing-annular-solar-eclipse-astronomy-photographer-year https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/beads-sunlight-photogra...
- nbaugh1 2y ago
  You take many long exposure photographs of the same spot in the sky, stack them together, and then edit the images to make them look nice. There is a ton of specialized equipment and software for the hobby - star trackers, astrophotography specific cameras, optics, camera control software, stacking software, and of course Adobe lightroom and photoshop You can start out with just a digital camera/cellphone and tripod, and go all the way up to a full blown backyard observatory
pwillia7 2y ago
Wonder if anyone snuck in some AI images
maurits 2y ago
"We and our 912 partners process your personal data" A museum. Just why??
- hashtag-til 2y ago
  There is only one correct answer to that prompt.
- nom 2y ago
  They list 72 cookies as strictly necessary and you can't unselect them. They are effectively claiming that their website cannot function without the cookies from presumably 72 different third parties.
inSenCite 2y ago
I wish there were 4k/hd resolutions of these
- mr_mitm 2y ago
  Yeah I'd love to buy one in max res and have them printed. Maybe I'll reach to that one guy on Instagram.
  - pronouncedjerry 2y ago
    Let me know what you find out. I'm interested in ordering digitals/prints for a couple of these.
    - HelloUsername 2y ago
      It's all on the website https://shop.rmg.co.uk/collections/astronomy-photographer-of-the-year https://shop.rmg.co.uk/collections/astronomy-photographer-of...
throw0101b 2y ago
If anyone wants to get into astrophotography, AstroBackyard is probably the most popular (though not only) channel on the subject: * https://www.youtube.com/@AstroBackyard https://www.youtube.com/@AstroBackyard * https://astrobackyard.com https://astrobackyard.com For astronomy in general, and buying advice, Ed Ting is pretty good: * https://www.youtube.com/@edting https://www.youtube.com/@edting * "Getting Started in Amateur Astronomy - for COMPLETE BEGINNERS. Telescopes? Books? Binos? Part 1": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IlmekWsEAQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IlmekWsEAQ * "Top Beginner's Astronomy Books!": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhbAEx2le7o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhbAEx2le7o * "7 Common Mistakes Made by Beginning Amateur Astronomers": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqLHz21wGA8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqLHz21wGA8 * "Best Telescopes/Scope Combos at [Under] US$200, $500 […]": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvslqVTNEWs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvslqVTNEWs * "Top 3 Beginner's Telescopes! Which one should you buy?": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ-g2eWj0Fs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ-g2eWj0Fs * https://www.scopereviews.com https://www.scopereviews.com (not updated recently)
- dmead 2y ago
  I'd add that many of the people on that list are active in the /r/astrophotography discord. Good place to hang out and learn.
- jappgar 2y ago
  Highly recommend Nico Carver (Nebula Photos) especially if you're interested in DIY or the more creative/artistic aspects. https://youtube.com/@nebulaphotos?si=_Uf6x7nQ_HwNOlZ_ https://youtube.com/@nebulaphotos?si=_Uf6x7nQ_HwNOlZ_ Another great one is Cuiv The Lazy Geek. Very prolific and technical. He produces amazing images from light polluted Tokyo. https://youtube.com/@cuivthelazygeek?si=X2gy_W5KYO7SW2tu https://youtube.com/@cuivthelazygeek?si=X2gy_W5KYO7SW2tu
  - throw0101b 2y ago
    > ?si=_Uf6x7nQ_HwNOlZ_ FYI: the si parameter is used for tracking purposes.
HelloUsername 2y ago
This release is from September 2024 (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41637459 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41637459, no comments)
black_puppydog 2y ago
Besides the gorgeous imagery, that website is SNAPPY. Kudos to whoever built this!
benjijay 2y ago
I went to this exhibit at the weekend! Some truly awesome pictures (and a handful of runners up that left me wondering how easy it is to do, really) One of the most interesting comparisons was how some pictures were a single shot, maybe 10-15 second exposure, and others were stacks of 700 or more images with exposures ranging from 60-400 seconds, taken over the course of a month.
- etrautmann 2y ago
  It’s surprisingly easy to get a good shot of the Milky Way! I was blown away when I first bought a mirror less camera and stuck it on a cheap tripod. Most of the winning shots are also notable for composition and location. Deep sky shots with detail of galaxies and nebulae (anything zoomed in) require a much more complex and expensive gear, but wide angle is generally somewhat easy to capture if you have good dark skies. Just set up a 30 second exposure with settings as described here: https://kenrockwell.com/tech/how-to-photograph-the-milky-way.htm https://kenrockwell.com/tech/how-to-photograph-the-milky-way...
world2vec 2y ago
Gorgeous photos, each category has so many incredible photos that I'd be hard pressed into picking a clear winner. Btw, Royal Museums Greenwich is a lovely spot to spend some time during the weekend, either the museums/expositions or the parks around if the weather allows. Plus it has great views of London from the observatory.

TomK32 2y ago

Again no category for the farside of the moon.

lionkor 2y ago

The one that struck me the most is the ISS in front of the Sun - somehow that always gets me.

agos 2y ago
I've seen a couple of shots of the ISS in front of the Sun before - always very impressive, but man, the perspective on this one. Incredible photography
- rqtwteye 2y ago
  That’s actually not that hard. You need a long lens. there are a few websites that tell you when the ISS crosses the sun in your area with exact time of the crossing. When the time comes, you set up your camera with a solar filter and do a burst for a few seconds. I have done it a few times and I am always surprised that it works. While taking the pictures you see nothing so you have to totally rely on the exact time. But it always works out. Same for the moon.
hoseja 2y ago
I was somewhat surprised at the scale. The station appears quite big compared to the sun's disk, doesn't it? These astronomical conjunctions are always useful when trying to internalize the geometry in the Solar system.
- gus_massa 2y ago
  Relevant xkcd https://xkcd.com/1276/ https://xkcd.com/1276/ in spite it doesn't have the ISS. The projection from the center of the Earth is 109m/(6380+408)Km*6380Km = 102m (336ft), similar to the projection of Neptune. But the angular size in your eyes maped to the Earth surface is 109m/408Km*6380Km = 1.7Km (1.0 mi) similar to the projection of Jupiter. For objects that are far enough both calculations are equivalent, but for the size in a photo I think the second is the relevant one.
gambiting 2y ago
It reminds me of Outer Wilds(the video game).

reedf1 2y ago

Any idea how they manage to get clearly defined nebulae in the skyscapes? I've never seen it before; is it a new technique, filter or a composite of smaller angle shots?

pridkett 2y ago
It’s almost always stacking. This type of photography has recently become much more approachable thanks to products like the SeeStar S50/S30 and the Dwarf 3. These are smarter devices that can find and image most anything in the sky for you. And they retail for under $500. You won’t be as good as these photos or people who send $10k rigs to be remotely operated at Starfront[0] in Brady, Texas - but you’ll be impressed with what you can get from almost anywhere. [0]: https://starfront.space/ https://starfront.space/
illwrks 2y ago
My guess is very precise tracking to counter the earths orbit, long exposures, sensitive image sensors, massive lenses to capture the light, a remote location and luck.
- illwrks 2y ago
  There’s an overview from the winner here: https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/beads-sunlight-photographing-annular-solar-eclipse-astronomy-photographer-year https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/beads-sunlight-photogra...
nbaugh1 2y ago
You take many long exposure photographs of the same spot in the sky, stack them together, and then edit the images to make them look nice. There is a ton of specialized equipment and software for the hobby - star trackers, astrophotography specific cameras, optics, camera control software, stacking software, and of course Adobe lightroom and photoshop You can start out with just a digital camera/cellphone and tripod, and go all the way up to a full blown backyard observatory

pwillia7 2y ago

Wonder if anyone snuck in some AI images

maurits 2y ago

"We and our 912 partners process your personal data" A museum. Just why??

hashtag-til 2y ago
There is only one correct answer to that prompt.
nom 2y ago
They list 72 cookies as strictly necessary and you can't unselect them. They are effectively claiming that their website cannot function without the cookies from presumably 72 different third parties.

inSenCite 2y ago

I wish there were 4k/hd resolutions of these

mr_mitm 2y ago
Yeah I'd love to buy one in max res and have them printed. Maybe I'll reach to that one guy on Instagram.
- pronouncedjerry 2y ago
  Let me know what you find out. I'm interested in ordering digitals/prints for a couple of these.
  - HelloUsername 2y ago
    It's all on the website https://shop.rmg.co.uk/collections/astronomy-photographer-of-the-year https://shop.rmg.co.uk/collections/astronomy-photographer-of...

throw0101b 2y ago

If anyone wants to get into astrophotography, AstroBackyard is probably the most popular (though not only) channel on the subject: * https://www.youtube.com/@AstroBackyard https://www.youtube.com/@AstroBackyard * https://astrobackyard.com https://astrobackyard.com For astronomy in general, and buying advice, Ed Ting is pretty good: * https://www.youtube.com/@edting https://www.youtube.com/@edting * "Getting Started in Amateur Astronomy - for COMPLETE BEGINNERS. Telescopes? Books? Binos? Part 1": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IlmekWsEAQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IlmekWsEAQ * "Top Beginner's Astronomy Books!": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhbAEx2le7o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhbAEx2le7o * "7 Common Mistakes Made by Beginning Amateur Astronomers": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqLHz21wGA8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqLHz21wGA8 * "Best Telescopes/Scope Combos at [Under] US$200, $500 […]": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvslqVTNEWs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvslqVTNEWs * "Top 3 Beginner's Telescopes! Which one should you buy?": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ-g2eWj0Fs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ-g2eWj0Fs * https://www.scopereviews.com https://www.scopereviews.com (not updated recently)

dmead 2y ago
I'd add that many of the people on that list are active in the /r/astrophotography discord. Good place to hang out and learn.
jappgar 2y ago
Highly recommend Nico Carver (Nebula Photos) especially if you're interested in DIY or the more creative/artistic aspects. https://youtube.com/@nebulaphotos?si=_Uf6x7nQ_HwNOlZ_ https://youtube.com/@nebulaphotos?si=_Uf6x7nQ_HwNOlZ_ Another great one is Cuiv The Lazy Geek. Very prolific and technical. He produces amazing images from light polluted Tokyo. https://youtube.com/@cuivthelazygeek?si=X2gy_W5KYO7SW2tu https://youtube.com/@cuivthelazygeek?si=X2gy_W5KYO7SW2tu
- throw0101b 2y ago
  > ?si=_Uf6x7nQ_HwNOlZ_ FYI: the si parameter is used for tracking purposes.

HelloUsername 2y ago

This release is from September 2024 (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41637459 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41637459, no comments)

black_puppydog 2y ago

Besides the gorgeous imagery, that website is SNAPPY. Kudos to whoever built this!

benjijay 2y ago

I went to this exhibit at the weekend! Some truly awesome pictures (and a handful of runners up that left me wondering how easy it is to do, really) One of the most interesting comparisons was how some pictures were a single shot, maybe 10-15 second exposure, and others were stacks of 700 or more images with exposures ranging from 60-400 seconds, taken over the course of a month.

etrautmann 2y ago
It’s surprisingly easy to get a good shot of the Milky Way! I was blown away when I first bought a mirror less camera and stuck it on a cheap tripod. Most of the winning shots are also notable for composition and location. Deep sky shots with detail of galaxies and nebulae (anything zoomed in) require a much more complex and expensive gear, but wide angle is generally somewhat easy to capture if you have good dark skies. Just set up a 30 second exposure with settings as described here: https://kenrockwell.com/tech/how-to-photograph-the-milky-way.htm https://kenrockwell.com/tech/how-to-photograph-the-milky-way...

world2vec 2y ago

Gorgeous photos, each category has so many incredible photos that I'd be hard pressed into picking a clear winner. Btw, Royal Museums Greenwich is a lovely spot to spend some time during the weekend, either the museums/expositions or the parks around if the weather allows. Plus it has great views of London from the observatory.