Astrophotography Competition: RULES and GUIDELINES

Monthly Imaging Challenge:
To provide a forum for members to share images in a friendly competition.


Overview:
During each month, members can enter images to the Challenge by sending an email with a pointer to the image (please don't attach the image in the e-mail!) to photo_competition@irishastronomy.org

Monthly there shall be a topic or theme for the competition, and only entries from that theme will be accepted. Examples include 'Moon(s)', 'Deep Sky', 'The Milky Way'. On alternate months any photo that is of astronomy-related content will be accepted. The topic will be announced in advance.

Voting for any given months' competition will proceed during the following month, while during that same following month, the next theme of the competition for entry submission will take place. Polls will remain open for the duration of each month, and will close on the last day (as stated).

There is no prize for winning other than getting your image on the front page of the site, and the satisfaction of knowing that others think your image is as good as you do!


Monthly Challenge Rules:
1: Images entered to the Competition must have been taken and processed by registered members of the IFAS website.
2: Images can be taken with any kind of imaging technique or medium (film, digital, CCD, drawing), telescope or mount, and the image can be autoguided.
3: Two or more members may contribute to an image; the sharing of ideas does not count as contributing to an image. "Contributing" to an image is to acquire or process the image.
4: Only one image per person or team may be entered into each months Competition. If a person contributes to a group image, that person can not contribute to another image being posted in that months Competition.
5: The image format must be JPG or GIF, and can be any size but no larger than 800 x 800 pixels in physical size dimensions. If using e.g. flickr.com (recommended), please submit a pointer to an image that meets the constraints above. Please tag all astronomy images on flickr.com with the tag irishastronomy.
6: The submission email must include the following:
* The name of the entrant(s), including any club affiliation;
* The date the image was taken, and the processing date if different;
* Title to suit e.g. the objects name, or it equivalent NGC or M or IC etc number where there is one;
* A description of the target and the methods and equipment used to acquire the image, maximum 100 words;
7: The image can be captured and processed at any time prior to the contest period. If the same image data is used to submit an image to a subsequent Competition, the image must be a complete reprocessing of the previously acquired image data.
8: No image may be entered in the monthly Competition that has been voted 1st place in any prior Competition.
9: Images submitted should not have an author's name/signature digitally added. All images should appear anonymous in their appearance.


These rules are subject to change from time to time as we discover our inadvertent errors and omissions or other unforeseen events occur.

The team also welcomes your feedback & suggestions. If you have an idea that you feel will enhance the Monthly Challenge, please email photo_competition@irishastronomy.org

Clear Skies & Good Luck!

Seanie Morris.