Marco Lorenzi | Sky at Night Astronomy Photographer of the Year | Deep Space
Vela Supernova Remnant | ProLine PL16803 | CFW-5-7
DEEP SPACE, Winner: Vela Supernova Remnant by Marco Lorenzi (Italy). The intricate structure of the aftermath of a supernova explosion - the violent death of a star many times more massive than the Sun which took place over 10,000 years ago. Seen against stars and gas in the disc of our Milky Way, this expanding shell of debris and heated gas now covers an area of the sky which is twenty times bigger than the disc of the full Moon. (text from The Telegraph, http://www.telegraph.co.uk)
Marco Lorenzi has garnered several APODs and has been recognized for his work again by winning the Sky At Night Astronomy 'Photographer of the Year' in the Deep Space Category. You can see more of Marco's stunning imaging here
Mike Sidonio | Sky at Night Astronomy Photographer of the Year | Highly Commended | Deep Space
The Fighting Dragons of Ara | ProLine PL16803 | CFW-5-7 | Atlas Focuser
DEEP SPACE, Highly Commended: Fighting Dragons of Ara (NGC 6188 and 6164) by Michael Sidonio (Australia). Clouds of swirling purple, green and orange gas and dust that appear as 'fighting dragons', shaped by the recent birth of large stars much bigger and brighter than our Sun. One such star can be seen to the lower left of the image within two shells of glowing gas. The image gives a snapshot of the chaotic stellar nurseries in which stars are born. Our own Sun probably formed in similar circumstances 4.5 billion years ago. (text from The Telegraph, http://www.telegraph.co.uk)
Mike has been a happy and outspoken FLI customer since the arrival of his first FLI camera, the ProLine PL11002. His images have earned him several David Malin awards, APOD's and now a well-deserved Sky At Night image award. Mike's image of NGC 6188 and 6164 (The Fighting Dragons of Ara) has been noted by Sky at Night as ' Highly Commended' in the Astronomy Photographer of the Year Deep Space Category. Mike is known around the globe as 'The World's Strongest Astronomer'. Visit his web site to see more of his remarkable images here.