Australia photography awards showcase beauty of space

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Arctic Nights by Judith ConningImage source, Judith Conning/CWAS
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The David Malin Astrophotography award started with a just a handful of entries 12 years ago.

Exaltation Moon Warrior by James StoneImage source, James Stone/CWAS
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It now attracts nationwide attention with hundreds of submissions and celebrates some of best Australia's astronomical photography.

Good Shepherd by Peter HilkmannImage source, Peter Hilkmann/CWAS
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The annual competition is open to all amateur astronomers across the country, aiming to encourage new developments in photography and a wider interest in astronomy.

The Large Magellanic Cloud by Chris MarklewImage source, Chris Marklew/CWAS
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Awards judge David Malin said in addition to aesthetic merit the awards recognise the technical complexity of night-time photography.

Stormy Stars by Stephen HumplebyImage source, Stephen Humpleby/CWAS
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"Getting the colours right is very important and you have to have some knowledge of the nature of the stars to get the colours right," he told the BBC.

Starcity by Peter WardImage source, Peter Ward/CWAS
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The winners of the competition were announced on the weekend and are on display at the Parkes Observatory in New South Wales.

Smilin' Orion by Troy CasswellImage source, Troy Casswell/CWAS
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This year's top prize was awarded to photographer Troy Casswell for his widefield image depicting the full constellation Orion.

Saturn by Stefan BudaImage source, Stefan Buda/CWAS
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Mr Hall said night-time photography was open to anyone who wanted to get involved.

Milky Way over Bonnie Doon by Neil CreekImage source, Neil Creek/CWAS
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"You might need some expensive stuff if you want to do really fancy things but an off-the-shelf camera will get you started," he said.