South Downs Dark Skies Photography Competition Crowns Winners
An incredible photograph of the Milky Way arching over the South Downs has been declared the overall winner of the national park's annual astro-photography competition. The contest, which attracted more than 130 entries, was held to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the South Downs being designated an International Dark Sky Reserve.
Ancient Light Captures Top Prize
The prestigious top award was secured by Michael Harris from Brighton for his image titled Ancient Light. This captivating shot frames the Milky Way above a derelict barn in the Balsdean Valley near Brighton, East Sussex. Judge Dan Oakley, a renowned dark skies expert and astro-photographer, praised the entry, stating: "I think this is an incredible and realistic photo of what the South Downs Dark Skies experience is. It's beautifully framed."
Mr Harris reflected on the profound history of the location, noting: "The site has witnessed Roman occupation, served as a medieval hamlet, provided accommodation during the Second World War, and was used for farming. All these human activities have come and gone in the time it has taken for the light from the Milky Way above to reach us, which is approximately 26,000 years."
Category Winners Showcase Diverse Talent
In the Life At Night category, Richard Murray from Waterlooville triumphed with his photograph Snail Trail To The Stars, featuring a snail beneath The Plough asterism. Judge Elinor Newman, who organizes the national park's Dark Skies Festival running until February 22, commented: "This really does encapsulate life at night, with the snail, flora and lichen. The image has incredible detail, captures a moment and takes me to another place. A very inspiring image."
Mr Murray shared the challenges behind his shot: "The shot took a lot of patience and a surprising amount of suspense, waiting for the exact moment when my tiny, mucus-powered model lifted both antennae toward the cosmos above. Eventually, the stars, the snail, and the timing all lined up and I got the shot I'd been hoping for."
The new South Downs To Deep Space category was won by Nigel Stanbury from Haslemere, Surrey, for his image Jellyfish Nebula, depicting a supernova remnant located 5,000 light years away. Judge Dan Oakley remarked: "It looks like a jellyfish, but it's not, it's the remains of an exploding star. It looks straight out of Star Trek."
Mr Stanbury elaborated on the technical and cosmic aspects: "The image is of the so-called Jellyfish nebula located in the constellation of Gemini, the twins. It is the remains of a star larger than our sun, that exploded as a supernova many thousands of years ago, blowing off a cloud of gas that has been expanding ever since and glows as it collides with surrounding gas and dust. The image was taken over three nights, and needed 22 hours of exposure to bring out the colours and show the finer details of the faint structure. It has taken light 5,000 years to reach us so the image shows the object as it appeared 5,000 years ago."
Highly Commended Entries and Festival Details
The competition also recognized numerous highly commended photographs across various categories, showcasing the exceptional talent of participants. These included:
- Tail of a Comet by Ivana Peranic
- Shared Sky by Maxine Monaghan
- Stargazer by Jen Fellows
- A Window To Our Galaxy by Lorcan Taylor-Hood (winner of the Dark Skyscapes award)
- Moon Halo by Mandy Turner (winner of the Meteoric Mobile Phone award)
- Aurora Above Seven Sisters by Maxine Monaghan
- Moonlit Silver Studded Blue by Anthony Whitbourn
- Milky Way over Cuckmere by Daniel Richards
- The Living Night by Tom Elphick
- Heart Nebula by Kayal Bodle
- A Galaxy far far away by Ivana Peranic
- St Huberts Milky Way by Nathan Hill
- Winter's View Orion by Tom Elphick (runner-up in Deep Space)
- Trees of Life by Michael Steven Harris
- Eclipsed by Carl Gough (runner-up in Dark Skyscapes)
- Belle Tout Lunar Eclipse by Lee Rouse
- Flemings Triangular Wisp by Stephen Martin
- Moon Halo by Ian Brierley (runner-up in Life at Night)
The South Downs National Park's Dark Skies Festival continues to offer events and activities until February 22, celebrating the region's pristine night skies and promoting awareness of light pollution issues.
