2021 Award Winners

Astrophotography Award

1st Prize: Paul Montague -- The Dolphin Nebula

Sponsored by Sky-Watcher Australia

Paul Montague’s spectacular image of the Dolphin Nebula won him the 2021 ASSA Astrophotography Award. The nebula consists mostly of hydrogen clouds that formed when an energetic Wolf-Rayet star shed its outer layer by blowing it into surrounding space. Imaging this nebula requires a lot of skill first in acquiring signal and then also in processing. Paul has beautifully demonstrated what can be achieved by amateurs today when squeezing every bit of potential out of cameras, filters and processing software. Congratulations Paul!

 

2nd Prize: Paul Montague -- Thor's Helmet

Sponsored by Adelaide Optical Centre

Paul Montague’s photograph of Thor’s Helmet (NGC 2359) is extremely challenging to image and won him 2nd Prize in the 2021 ASSA Astrophotography Award. Back in 1988, David Eicher described NGC 2359 as merely a patch of nebulosity looking like a twisted comet. Paul’s skill at narrowband imagery has brought out the fine detail that reminds observers of Norse head gear, and Paul has caught it with the precise skill which has now become his trademark. Congratulations Paul!

 

3rd Prize: Gerard O'Born -- Vela Supernova Remnant

Sponsored by Bintel

Gerard O'Born submitted the Vela Supernova Remnant for his 3rd prize winning image. The Vela SNR is huge, extending more than 15 degrees in all directions and it is composed of several deep sky objects including 2 separate supernova remnants overlapping and adjacent to each other over a vast stretch of the Southern Sky. Gerard is an expert in getting the most out of DSLRs for Deep Sky Imaging, whether with camera lenses for wide angle shots of the Milky Way or through a small refractor for close up views, the results seem to always approach perfection. It wasn’t just skill alone, but also a lot of patience that did the trick: almost 12 hours of light gathering and we can only guess how many more hours of tickling out minute detail with the help of processing software went into this picture. All of that combined made Gerard end up this year among the Top 3. Congratulations Gerard!

 

Craig Richardson Memorial Award

Winner: Will Godward -- Blow Hole Beach

Sponsored by The Richardson Family

This year the Craig Richardson Memorial Award went to “Blow Hole Beach” another one of the superb Milky Way portraits taken by Will Godward. The wealth of information contained in this image and the solemn mood created are overwhelming. Humans have gazed up at the night sky since the earliest of time. Looking at this image we instinctively feel that we are merely part of a tiny planet in a huge Universe cruising through eternity. This is a truly marvellous photograph. Congratulations Will!

Will Godward and Barbara Richardson

 

Distinctive Astrophotography Award

Winner: Will Godward -- Encounter

Sponsored by Paul Haese

Will Godward @godwardphotography was the winner of the ASSA Distinctive Astrophotography Award sponsored by Paul Haese. Will is an authority when it comes to imaging nightscapes in South Australia and this wonderful image of the Milky Way and Magellanic Clouds over Encounter Bay demonstrates near perfect composition and colour. Will had several entries this year and it is hard to rank them by quality as they all reveal an extreme degree of competence in choosing the right motive, taking the actual photo and processing it in a way, that land- and nightscape seem to flow naturally into one another. Congratulations Will for this and other beautiful images!

 

Editor's Award

Trish Ellin

Trish has worked tirelessly for several years producing the Member Profiles we read in The Bulletin. These help new members get to know more prominent members of ASSA and gives us more insight into how they became interested in astronomy.

 

Annual Service Awards

Lynette O'Born

Lynette is presented with a service award for the all the work she has undertaken as Treasurer for the Society. She is meticulous in her duties and takes care of our financial situation to a high standard.

 

Paul Haese

Paul is presented with a service award in recognition of outstanding services allowing ASSA to continue functioning under adverse circumstances during the COVID pandemic.

 

Bill Bradfield Astronomy Award

ASSA e-Callisto Project Team

The Award recognises the SA members of the e-Callisto Team (Peter Gray, Blair Lade, John Duffield, David Bennett, Tique Bennett and Duncan Campbell-Wilson) for excellence in design and construction of instruments for recording solar activity in radio wavelengths, monitoring and analysing solar radio outbursts and contributing to a wider international effort in solar radio astronomy

 

Hall of Fame

 

Ian Bedford

Ian donated land at Stockport for ASSA to build the observatory, provided all the designs for the observatory and dome and assisted with construction. Ian eventually passed ownership of remaining land at Stockport and observatory building to ASSA. Ian also provided designs and assisted in construction of The Heights Observatory. He has promoted astronomy in the mid-North of SA for over 40 years

 

Ian Anderson

Ian has made a long and outstanding commitment to deliver affordable large equipment for the Society. He designed and organized the construction of the 18-in and 20-in telescopes at Stockport and was involved in the design of the Turret Project and the subsequent drive components to open the shutters. His hands-on contributions to outreach activities for new members have been instrumental in ASSA’s success in service delivery for members over many years.