J
Joe Snodgrass
Prize is a trip to ESO observatory in Chile
http://tinyurl.com/24duz2o
When professional astronomers gather around the proverbial water
cooler, I'll bet the conversation sometimes turns to all the help
they're getting these days from amateurs around the world. It's not
just the terrific job you do observing planets, supernovae, and
comets; you also help out behind the scenes with image- and data-
processing skills.
(As just one example, check out this amazing morphing animation
created by Daniel MacháÄek from just five images from the recent flyby
of Comet Hartley 2.)
ESO's Hidden Treasures contest
The European Southern Observatory invites do-it-yourself image
dabblers to explore its archives and submit entries in its Hidden
Treasures photo contest, which ends November 30th.
ESO
Hoping to tap into all that image-processing prowess, officials at the
European Southern Observatory have launched the Hidden Treasures
contest to see who can create the most wonderful views of the cosmos
from archived imaging data.
ESO's astronomers have amassed a rich trove of gorgeous cosmic vistas
over the years, so there's plenty of material to work with. What I
especially like about Hidden Treasures is how it empowers those of you
who love great astrophotography but might not have the gear and gizmos
to do it (or do it well) yourself.
"We normally publish these images ourselves for the public to admire,
such as the ESO Top 100," explains outreach specialist Oana Sandu.
"However, this time we wanted the public to have the opportunity to
process images just like professional astronomers do, and to try to
obtain their own amazing views of our universe."
Be forewarned: there's lots of slogging involved in the Hidden
Treasures competition. "This is not for the faint-hearted," the
contest's website notes. "Many terabytes of data are available,
spanning many years, different instruments and technologies. The
individual files in the archive are each single exposures, obtained
through a single filter. They need to be extensively processed and
combined to bring out the beauty hidden in there."
OK, this is way out of my league — but I know many of you can do it!
So why should you?
Very Large Telescope in Chile
Picture yourself here! It's sunset, and four giant instruments spring
to life at the Very Large Telescope atop Cerro Paranal in Chile.
(Three of them, named Antu, Kueyen, and Melipal, are seen here.) Each
has a primary mirror 27 feet (8.2 m) across).
S&T: J. Kelly Beatty
For a chance at first prize: an all-expenses-paid trip to ESO's
amazing Very Large Telescope atop Cerro Paranal in Chile — including
an overnight stay to participate in one of the observing runs!
I visited the VLT in late 2003, and I can attest that it's an amazing
place (as is Chile in general). Runner-up prizes include an iPod
Touch, laser-engraved glass cubes with a model of the VLT, and Eyes on
the Skies book-DVD combos.
The concept is simple. First, you identify and retrieve a data set
from the ESO's science archive. Then you combine and process the
images in any way you wish (the official rules are here — one taboo:
no "painting†allowed). Then save your masterpiece and submit it as a
moderate-size JPEG file. You can pool resources with others to enter
as a team, and you can enter as many images as you wish.
The deadline for submissions is November 30th at 23:00 Universal Time
(that's midnight CEST, 6 p.m. EST, and 3 p.m. PST). Entries will be
judged for their aesthetic quality, processing quality, and
originality by ESO astronomer Olivier Hainaut and imaging specialists
Richard Hook, Davide de Martin, and Lars Lindberg Christensen.
Of course, the devil is in the details. "The competition is
challenging," Sandu admits. "Candidates need to be able to master
technical skills and to have a creative mind as well." But the website
provides full support for accessing the archive and even links to a
list of image-processing programs.
So good luck to you and your pixel-picking pluck!
http://tinyurl.com/24duz2o
When professional astronomers gather around the proverbial water
cooler, I'll bet the conversation sometimes turns to all the help
they're getting these days from amateurs around the world. It's not
just the terrific job you do observing planets, supernovae, and
comets; you also help out behind the scenes with image- and data-
processing skills.
(As just one example, check out this amazing morphing animation
created by Daniel MacháÄek from just five images from the recent flyby
of Comet Hartley 2.)
ESO's Hidden Treasures contest
The European Southern Observatory invites do-it-yourself image
dabblers to explore its archives and submit entries in its Hidden
Treasures photo contest, which ends November 30th.
ESO
Hoping to tap into all that image-processing prowess, officials at the
European Southern Observatory have launched the Hidden Treasures
contest to see who can create the most wonderful views of the cosmos
from archived imaging data.
ESO's astronomers have amassed a rich trove of gorgeous cosmic vistas
over the years, so there's plenty of material to work with. What I
especially like about Hidden Treasures is how it empowers those of you
who love great astrophotography but might not have the gear and gizmos
to do it (or do it well) yourself.
"We normally publish these images ourselves for the public to admire,
such as the ESO Top 100," explains outreach specialist Oana Sandu.
"However, this time we wanted the public to have the opportunity to
process images just like professional astronomers do, and to try to
obtain their own amazing views of our universe."
Be forewarned: there's lots of slogging involved in the Hidden
Treasures competition. "This is not for the faint-hearted," the
contest's website notes. "Many terabytes of data are available,
spanning many years, different instruments and technologies. The
individual files in the archive are each single exposures, obtained
through a single filter. They need to be extensively processed and
combined to bring out the beauty hidden in there."
OK, this is way out of my league — but I know many of you can do it!
So why should you?
Very Large Telescope in Chile
Picture yourself here! It's sunset, and four giant instruments spring
to life at the Very Large Telescope atop Cerro Paranal in Chile.
(Three of them, named Antu, Kueyen, and Melipal, are seen here.) Each
has a primary mirror 27 feet (8.2 m) across).
S&T: J. Kelly Beatty
For a chance at first prize: an all-expenses-paid trip to ESO's
amazing Very Large Telescope atop Cerro Paranal in Chile — including
an overnight stay to participate in one of the observing runs!
I visited the VLT in late 2003, and I can attest that it's an amazing
place (as is Chile in general). Runner-up prizes include an iPod
Touch, laser-engraved glass cubes with a model of the VLT, and Eyes on
the Skies book-DVD combos.
The concept is simple. First, you identify and retrieve a data set
from the ESO's science archive. Then you combine and process the
images in any way you wish (the official rules are here — one taboo:
no "painting†allowed). Then save your masterpiece and submit it as a
moderate-size JPEG file. You can pool resources with others to enter
as a team, and you can enter as many images as you wish.
The deadline for submissions is November 30th at 23:00 Universal Time
(that's midnight CEST, 6 p.m. EST, and 3 p.m. PST). Entries will be
judged for their aesthetic quality, processing quality, and
originality by ESO astronomer Olivier Hainaut and imaging specialists
Richard Hook, Davide de Martin, and Lars Lindberg Christensen.
Of course, the devil is in the details. "The competition is
challenging," Sandu admits. "Candidates need to be able to master
technical skills and to have a creative mind as well." But the website
provides full support for accessing the archive and even links to a
list of image-processing programs.
So good luck to you and your pixel-picking pluck!