 | | | | |
| | | | | |
|
Media Centre Press ReleasesESA TelevisionLaunch Media CornerExhibitionsServices CalendarPublicationsFrequently asked questionsESA-sponsored ConferencesHelpSite CreditsPortal terms of useCommentsSubscribe
| | | | | | | | | Computer-generated animation of Rosetta fly-by. For details, click on image. | |
Amateur watchers invited to 'Rosetta Up Close' photo contest
28 February 2005
Rosetta's Earth fly-by on 4 March, ESA's closest ever at just 1900 km, will provide a fantastic photo opportunity. The 'Rosetta Up Close' photo contest will recognize and reward the best images and sky watchers everywhere are invited to participate.
If you have a decent amateur telescope and digital imaging equipment, you can probably take some impressive photos of Rosetta—weather permitting—as the craft speeds by Earth.
After sunset in Europe on Friday, 4 March, the spacecraft will appear to travel from south east to south west, moving from the constellation Sextans towards the setting Sun, crossing the complete sky. Rosetta will be visible at an approximative angle of 30 degrees over the horizon. It will move faster as it heads west, disappearing below the horizon shortly after 23:00 CET. As seen from Europe, it will only reach a magnitude of about +8 or +9 on the brightness scale used by astronomers; this is dimmer than a typical faint star and not readily apparent to the eye.
Best image: 2 VIP launch event tickets to be won
ESA invites amateur astronomers to participate in the 'Rosetta Up Close' photo contest. The top three images will win some extraordinary prizes—including VIP tickets to the Venus Express launch event scheduled for later this year. All submissions will be published at a later date on the ESA web site (see contest details below).
ESA's Dr Detlef Koschny will serve as chief judge for the Rosetta Up Close contest, and, in an MP3 audiocast (see link at right), he explains the fly-by event and what sky watchers in Europe should look for.
Dr Koschny is a scientist in the Space Science Department (ESSD) at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, The Netherlands, and is deeply involved in the Rosetta mission.
Rosetta Up Close contest details
| Title: |
'Rosetta Up Close' photo contest |
| Deadline: |
Images to be submitted no later than:
12:00 CET, 11 March 2005 |
| Composition: |
Images must be of Rosetta passing Earth taken between now and the deadline |
| Format: |
Maximum file size: 2 MB
Resolution: 96-300 dpi
Size: No larger than 1024x768 dots
Format: Any commonly used photo format (JPG, GIF, TIF, BMP, etc.) |
| Submissions: |
Send images to: rosetta_up_close@esa.int
Submissions must include photographer's:
NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER and EMAIL ADDRESS
Maximum 3 images per contestant. |
| Eligibility: |
Contest is open to amateur sky watchers defined as those who do not receive income from professional employment as an astronomer or photographer. Employees and direct contractors of ESA are not eligible. |
| Prizes: |
1st Place: Two (2) VIP tickets to attend the exclusive Venus Express launch event at the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), Darmstadt, Germany, in mid-2005 (date to be announced)
2nd Place: Two (2) ESA T-shirts featuring logos of the latest mission
3rd Place: A selection of ESA space mission posters
The decision of the ESA judging panel will be final. |
| Additional details: |
Contest is held on a 'best effort' basis: ESA assumes no liability for submissions improperly emailed, that cannot be opened for judging or that are not received for any reason whatsoever. ESA undertakes to handle personal data in accordance with the ESA Web standard terms and conditions (see link at left). Travel to ESOC is the responsibility of prize winner. By participating, contestants agree to their Rosetta images being published on the ESA web site and on other sites which, from time to time, republish ESA web material. |
| Press Queries: |
ESA Communication Office at ESOC
ESA/ESOC
Robert-Bosch-Str. 5
64293 Darmstadt
Germany
Tel: +49 6151 90 2516
melanie.zander@esa.int |
| |
| | Europe's comet chaser ESA's comet chaser More about... Rosetta factsheetFly-by trajectory details & finder chartsRelated articles ESA's comet chaser to fly by EarthViewing Rosetta fly-by: audiocast with Detlef KoschnyNew destination for Rosetta, Europe's comet chaserLanding on a cosmic icebergLife of a cometAsteroids: The discovery of asteroidsRelated links ArianespaceAstriumDLR
|
