Incredible picture of the Milky Way wins photography competition
An “incredible” photo capturing the Milky Way over the Southern Downs has emerged as the winner of the national park’s annual astro-photography competition. The competition, which drew more than 130 participants, was held to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the park’s designation as an International Dark Sky Sanctuary.
The grand prize went to Michael Harris for his striking photograph “Ancient Light”, which beautifully frames the Milky Way above a derelict barn in the Balsdean Valley, near Brighton, East Sussex. Dark sky expert and astro photographer Dan Oakley, who served as the judge, praised the shot and said: “I think this is an incredible and realistic photograph of the South Downs Dark Skies experience. It’s beautifully framed.”
Mr Harris, from Brighton, reflected on the historical significance of his chosen location. He noted: “This place has a long history with Roman occupation as a medieval hamlet used for accommodation and farming during the Second World War. All of this has come and gone in the approximately 26,000 years it has taken light from the Milky Way to reach us.”
In the “Nocturnal Life” category, Richard Murray’s photograph “Snail Trail To The Stars”, depicting a snail beneath The Plow asterisk, won first place. Judge Elinor Newman, who organizes the national park’s Dark Sky Festival, which runs until February 22, commented: “This really encapsulates nightlife with snails, vegetation and lichens. The image has incredible detail, captures a moment and transports me to another place. A very inspiring image.”
Mr. Murray, of Waterlooville, described the meticulous effort behind his winning shot: “The shot required a lot of patience and a surprising amount of tension, waiting for the moment when my tiny, mucus-powered model would lift both antennas toward the cosmos above. Eventually the stars, the snail, and the timing all aligned and I got the shot I was hoping for.”
The new ‘South Downs To Deep Space’ category was won by Nigel Stanbury of Haslemere, Surrey, for his photograph ‘Jellyfish Nebula’, which captured a supernova 5,000 light years away. Mr Oakley noted: “It looks like a jellyfish but it’s not; it’s the remains of an exploding star. It looks like something straight out of Star Trek.”
Mr Stanbury explained: “The image is of a nebula called the Jellyfish Nebula, located in the constellation Gemini. It is the remains of a star more massive than our sun that exploded as a supernova thousands of years ago, blowing up a cloud of gas that has since expanded and glowed as it collided with surrounding gas and dust. The image was taken over three nights and required a 22-hour exposure to bring out the colors and show the finer details of the faint structure light reaching us.” “It took 5,000 years, so the image shows the object as it was 5,000 years ago.”
More details about the other winners and the ongoing Dark Sky Festival can be found at: southdowns.gov.uk/dark-skies-hub/dark-skies-festival/.
