WELCOME MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR OF THE HAVERING ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY

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Have you ever looked up at the night sky with wonder and awe, and wanted to know more about it? Have you ever bought or been given a telescope but found it too difficult to setup and use? Astronomy is a fascinating and rewarding hobby, but it’s easy to be put off by technical jargon, the high price of some of the equipment and the difficulty of knowing where to start. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to be an expert or a scientist, or even to buy lots of expensive equipment, to get going in astronomy. All you need to start with is an interest in looking up at the night sky and a wish to know more about it.


The aim of our society is to bring astronomy to the attention of our community by holding meetings, observing events, and giving educational talks to schools, scout and guide groups and other such societies.


At our regular monthly meetings, we host talks and presentations given by visiting speakers, as well as our own members, on a variety of astronomy-related topics.  We also hold regular monthly meetings for our Young Astronomers Group for young people aged 8-16 to find out more about astronomy 


Our society is for anyone interested in the night sky. Whether you are a complete beginner or an active observer there is always someone here to meet to share knowledge and experiences.


You don't have to be a member to come along and see what we get up to.  Please feel free to browse our website to discover who we are and what we do. You are welcome to get in touch to ask about the society, or general questions on astronomy.


Les Jones,

Chairperson

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2022

Roger Hyman



Images can be seen via the button below,

and in slider mode at the foot of this page


Competition 2022

Martin's Monthly Challenge - January

 Easy Object:

M42 - The Orion Nebula

Difficult Object:

NGC 2683/HASC6 - galaxy in Lynx

CLICK ON IMAGES BELOW FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2022

Winner, 2nd- and 3rd-place images, followed by entries in surname order - please scroll using the arrows

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    WINNER: ROGER HYMAN - "THE MOON, 13th NOV 2022" 


    Judges' comments: 

    “Good detail of the Moon; sharp, good colour, good exposure, and good framing. Excellent photo.” 

    “This image is so clear. I love the colour and the outlines of the craters.” 

    “The clarity of this shot is terrific. Lovely detail around the craters and of the moon surface.


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    2nd: STEPHEN SMITH - "GHOSTLY FACE" 


    Judges' comments:

    “A Ghostly Face where the orange/red subject contrasts against the dark starry sky. Excellent exposure shows good interior detail. It has a Christmassy feel to it, can I see a line of fairy lights within the 'face'?” 

    “This is an excellent image. I love the colour and the detail. Very Christmassy.”

    “I found this really good. Very effective colouring.”


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    3rd: ROGER HYMAN - "THE SUN, 14th JULY 2022" 


    Judges' comments:

    “Lovely, filtered shot of The Sun showing the interesting distribution of the sunspots on the Sun's surface.” 

    “This image is so impressive. It is so sharp.”

    “This is a difficult subject and so quite a different picture to normal, I like the way the sunspots have been captured to break up the surface of the sun.”


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    DEE BOURNE - "MYSTIC MOON" 


    Judges' comments:

    “A good attempt to create an effective image of Mystic Moon, it must have taken a lot of patience to get that moment when the clouds parted for the moon's light to create the halo effect.” 

    “I really liked this picture. Lovely colouring has been captured to give mystic effect.”

    “Very well titled. I love the colours that fade out into the darkness.”


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    ESMÉRALDA AND MILLIE HARVEY – “SILENT STARRY SKY”

    [Capel Garmon, Snowdonia National Park]


    Judges' comments:

    “Silent starry sky is difficult to see on my monitor screen, but I did count 14 stars. I think a longer exposure would have made a better image.” -- “I actually like this image ... a good attempt.”


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    ROGER HYMAN - "MARE IMBRIUM CLOSE UP"

    Judge's comment: “Sharp, good exposure and well framed for this close up of Mare Imbrium."

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    ROGER HYMAN - "RUNNING MAN" 


    Judges' comments:

    “Colour, sharpness, and framing make this a successful image.”

    “Very good equipment is required to produce a picture like this one. A good, interesting subject.”


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    ROGER HYMAN - "M81 BODE'S GALAXY" 


    Judges' comments: 

    “Lovely image of Bode's Galaxy, all elements shown well.” 

    “A very good image.” -- “A lovely example of a galaxy. The detail in the arms is extremely good.”


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    EMILY MORSI - "THE MOON IN CLOUDS"


    Judges' comments:

    “An interesting moody shot of the Moon in the Clouds."

    “There appears to be a shadow of the moon in this picture. Quite atmospheric.”


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    EMILY MORSI - "THE MOON'S SURFACE" 


    Judges' comments: 

    "The tones across the surface are well shown.” 

    “A good effort. Could be sharper but you can see the different areas on the surface.”


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    IAN MOSS - "MARE CRISIUM" 


    Judges' comments:  "A good effort" -- "The detail is good"


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    STEPHEN SMITH - "BUBBLE NEBULA AND NGC 7380"


    Judges' comments: "Sharp, subtle colour showing Bubble Nebula." -- "Well captured"


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    STEPHEN SMITH - "ANDROMEDA"


    Judges' comments:

    “Excellent exposure of the Andromeda Galaxy, overall, very sharp with the subject on the diagonal, well positioned.” 

    “A very good image.”

    “Super picture, beautifully positioned in the frame.” 


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    STEPHEN SMITH - "BUBBLE IN A BUBBLE" 


    Judges' comments:

    “Creative effect showing circular disc against a starry background. Good exposure, good colour, and good sharpness.” 

    “An excellent image with lots of interest. Very artistic.”

    “This is a real astronomer’s picture. I like the colour.” 


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    STEPHEN SMITH - "THE MOON"


    Judges' comments:

    "Good surface detail and sharp." 

    "Good image of the moon." 


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