South Downs: Midhurst Milky Way shot wins photo competition

(click to enlarge)

A “hauntingly beautiful” photograph of the Milky Way above the ruins of a Tudor mansion has won top prize in the South Downs National Park astrophotography competition.

The image was taken by Richard Murray from Waterlooville, Hampshire, at Cowdray ruins in Midhurst, West Sussex.

The competition celebrates the national park’s status as one of only 20 International Dark Sky Reserves in the world, which recognises the region as one of the best places globally to stargaze.

Mr Murray, who won a £100 prize, said: “We were blessed with crystal clear skies and I was lucky enough to be able to capture this shot of the Milky Way rising behind the Cowdray ruins. The national park has such a wide variety of beautiful landscapes and buildings to photograph and is truly a special part of the UK, both by day and night.”

Stunning … :astonished:

(but see later post)

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Beautiful !

I saw it online today and thought what a good photo , looks like a painting

Absolutely stunning.
I would be more than happy to purchase a print of that scene.
It`s worth more than £100 prize money imo.
But good for him.

Here’s one from 2021:

Amazingly, apart from colour, the sky is identical to the 2023 winner … :thinking:

I’ve reported it to the South Downs National Park.

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Wouldn’t you expect them to look the same? it’s like taking a picture of the moon, they all look the same too (except that ones taken in the northern hemisphere are always upside down).

You should try looking at the Milky Way from the Southern Hemisphere, there’s a lot more of it.

This is also the Milky Way from the South Downs:

Similar enough to be identifiable but not identical, as is this:

And here we are looking toward the centre of the Galaxy

Not identical, are they … :question:

Look closely and you will find they are. They were taken nearly 4000 km apart too.

No, they’re not.

Oh yes, they are…

:man_shrugging:

If you can’t see that then a trip to Specsavers is on the cards

Similarities should exist in photographs of the same “object” but a sum of similarities does not necessarily make the photographs identical.

No one claimed they were identical photographs they are taken 4000km apart but the sky is the same the only difference being orientation, exposure, focal length and resolution (and the planets)

That’s several differences, then.

Yep, as expected, one has a tent and a person, the other doesn’t, good observation.

That’s another difference.

It certainly is, I am sure we are all excitedly waiting to hear about the results of your report to the South Downs National Park, do keep us informed.

In case the excitement is getting too much, here is a picture of the moon to enjoy while we wait.