Northern Hemisphere 2025 Public Vote
The public vote for the nPAE Northern Hemisphere 2025 Competition has now landed! We have a truly inspiring selection of the some of the best astrophotography happening on planet Earth. Many thanks to all those who entered. The quality and tenacity on display in exemplary. Here are the final 12!
Taking advantage of the remote imaging rule Rod from Australia enters his “Into the Cosmic Shadows”: Wolf’s Cave Nebula taken with Telescope Live.
Equipment Used: Telescope: Takahashi FSQ106ED; Camera: FLI PL16083; Filters: Astrodon HaLRGB, 14 hours in HaLRGB
The raw data was calibrated, aligned, and stacked in PixInsight using Weighted Batch Pre-processing (WBPP). Local Normalization was applied to ensure consistent background levels across frames. The integrated image then underwent GraXpert background extraction to correct for gradients before further processing.
To enhance the structure of the nebula, StarXTerminator was used to separate the stars, allowing for independent adjustments. The nebula was mainly processed using DeepSNR for noise reduction, BlurXTerminator for detail refinement & GHS for stretching.
A subtle H-alpha enhancement was integrated into the image, carefully blended to preserve the delicate interplay of dark and reflective structures within the molecular cloud. The star layer was processed separately and recombined with colour calibration applied to maintain an accurate representation of the field.
Final adjustments, including selective contrast enhancement and cosmetic refinements, were performed in Photoshop, ensuring a balanced presentation while staying true to the data.
Additional Photographer’s Notes
Often overshadowed by more prominent deep-sky objects, Wolf’s Cave Nebula (LDN 1217) is a hidden gem within the cosmic landscape. This image captures the delicate balance between darkness and light, revealing intricate dust structures and subtle reflection nebulae that are often lost in wider-field compositions. The interplay of deep shadows and faintly illuminated gas has been carefully enhanced through innovative post-processing techniques, allowing the fine molecular cloud details to emerge without compromising natural contrast. The refined post-processing ensures that even the faintest structures retain their depth and texture. By bringing this lesser-known nebula into focus with a carefully curated palette and advanced data refinement, this image offers a fresh perspective on an underappreciated region of the night sky, combining scientific accuracy with an artistic approach to deep-sky imaging.
Gyorgy from Tenerife island in Spain enters the Whirlpool Galaxy.
Equipment used: Skywatcher Stargate 500P Dobsonian telescope, Triangulum Equatorial Photographic Platform, Astronomik L3, ZWO Asi 294McPro, AsiAirPro,50/180 GuideScope, Asi120mmMini GuiderCamera, Anti Diffraction Spike Masks of the spiderlegs,
Digital processing methods employed: Deep Sky Stacker stacking, Fitswork contrast + noise reduction, Paint Shop Pro layers+finalization,
Gyorgy second entry also makes the final 12 and when you see this Mars series 2024-2025 you will understand why!
Equipment used: Skywatcher Stargate 500P Dobsonian telescope, Triangulum Equatorial Photographic Platform, TeleVue Powermate 5x, ZWO Asi 178Mc, SharpCapPro,
Digital processing methods employed (if any): Autostack 4 stacking, Registax 6 sharpening, Fitswork contrast, WinJupos derotation, Paint Shop Pro finalization.
Lorand from Hungary is regular participant to the nPAE Northern Hemisphere competition having been a previous winning and having the honour of his image being featured on the nPAE 2025 Year Planner. This year his has entered the Rosette Zoo.
Equipment used: 400/1820 DIY Newtonian, Fornax 150 mount, ZWO ASI 2600MC Pro astrocamera
Imaging Target: Caldwell 49 Digital processing methods employed (if any): APP, Photoshop.
Alessandro from Italy enters the first of two solar images in this year’s contest. “Loops” is an image of coronal Loops after a X2.9 class Flare on the solar limb, occurred the 25, May 2024.
Equipment used: Tecnosky 115/800mm + Daystar Quark Prominence + ZWO ASI432MM
Digital processing methods employed (if any): Data acquisition with ASICAP, stacking with Autostakkert, preprocessing with ImPPG, post processing with Gimp.
“Mare Imbrium – From dark to light” is Andrea from Italy’s first entry into the nPAE 2025 contest.
Equipment: Newton 405mm F4.5, Skywatcher EQ8, Zwo Asi 178mm, Barlow APM 2.7x, Optolong R
Technical data: 487/4790 frames stacked with autostakkert. Captured with Firecapture. Processing with Astrosurface and Photoshop.
This image portrays part of the Mare Imbrium in a suggestive situation of light and shadow. Starting from the right, the Vallis Alpes with its internal rimae completely resolved until the end. Top left, sunrise on the Plato crater, in a pleasant play of shadows that stretch very long on the lunar surface, between the internal craters. Below, the very long shadow projected by Mons Pico towards the lunar terminator. Processing with Astrosurface, photoshop and camera raw for balance light and shadow.
Andrea’s second image also made the final 12. “Solar Storm” shows the sun in h-alpha on September 3, 2024, now at the solar maximum period. This image is a mosaic of 6 shots and portrays a particularly large active region just coming from the eastern edge of the sun. The image was processed with IMPPG (to extract detail and delicately process chromosphere and prominences) and photoshop.
Equipment Used: Achromatic refractor 152/900, Daystar Quark Cromosphere, Zwo Asi178mm
Technical data: 250/6430 frames stacked with autostakkert. Captured with Firecapture. Processing with IMPPG and Photoshop.
Gianni from Italy enters the class wide field of Ic434, Horsehead Nebula and Flame Nebula
Equipment used:🔭 Askar fra600 with reducer f3.9, Zwo Asi 2600 mc duo, ⚙️ Zwo Am5, Filter Optolong L-quef, L-Para, Software Sgpro, temp 0 con dark, flat e darkflat, 180 x 300s RGB and 200 x 300s Ha.
Digital processing methods employed: For photo processing I use pixinsight to create two masterlights one rgb one h-alpha by adding the frames, I use dbe to remove the gradients. I then use Photoshop to stretch the photos, with Starnet I divide the nebula from the stars and again with Photoshop I manage the colour, noise, contrast, lights and detail. at this point I use the rgb photo as a base and merge the h-alpha photo first partially for detail, then to amplify the red signal. I also merge the photo with the stars and give the final balances to personalize the photo.
This year sees out first entry from Pakistan! Uzzam enters his “Moon” taken with a 6” dobsonian.
Equipment Used: 6″ Dobsonian telescope with ASI662mc
Digital processing: Astrosurface and Photoshop.
The first of 3 entries in the final 12 from the USA comes from Charles with “High-Resolution Capture of Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)”
Equipment used: ASKAR APO 135mm, ZWO 2600 Duo OSC
Location: Blue Ridge Parkway, Deep Gap, North Carolina
Conditions: Moonless night, Bortle 4 skies
Digital processing methods employed: Exposure: 60 stacked images in Nina, 60-second exposures. Calibration: Darks and bias files applied WBPP. AI: Star removal StarX, Star deconvolution BlurX. Color Adjustment Photoshop.
Donna from the USA enters “The Rosette Nebula C49 in Full View”
Equipment used: Askar FRA400 /0.7x Reducer, ASI533MM Camera, Celestron AVX Mount, Antlia RGB/SHO Filters, SHO Image plus RGB Stars, Total Integration: 9hrs 28′, Imaging Target: Rosette Nebula C49
Digital processing methods employed: Pixinsight and Affinity Photo.
The final entry from the USA is from Joslynn with “2024 Full Moons”
Equipment used: Canon EOS Rebel T7
Digital processing methods employed: Low level image enhancing
We think you’ll agree that these are all exceptional images, all potentially worthy of winning the Northern Hemisphere title. Tell us your favourite by voting below.
https://www.npae.net/northern-hemisphere-2025-public-vote
