Contests
Every quarter of the year, take part in new challenges designed to give you a reason to experiment, share your work, and learn from other astrophotographers in the Galactic Course community.
How It Works
Every quarter, members get the opportunity to participate in both an Image and a Processing Contest.
The goal isn't to create a serious competition or find the “perfect” astrophotographer. These challenges are simply a fun way to practice your skills, experiment with new techniques, share your work, and see what other members are creating.
📸 Image Challenge
The Image Challenge is simple because it is passive. Just share your astrophotography in the Galactic Lounge or Discord as you normally would!
Throughout the year, I'll keep an eye on every single image members share and, at the end of the quarter, choose my favorite.
You can share anything you've photographed (deep-sky image, Milky Way, planetary...) as long as it's related to astrophotography.
There are no categories or special requirements. Just share what you're proud of!
🧑💻 Processing Contest
Each quarter, I’ll provide one of my own astrophotography datasets for you to download and process. These are high-quality Master files that have already been calibrated and stacked, so they're ready to be processed!
Use whatever tools and techniques you like and create the image you think looks best.
Once you're happy with your result, simply share it in the Galactic Lounge or Discord before the deadline.
At the end of the quarter, I’ll choose my favorite result.
🎁 The Reward
The winner of each challenge will be nominated for the Hall of Fame, and receive $100 in Galactic Credit.
This isn't intended to be a cash prize. The idea is to give you an opportunity to learn something new and improve your astrophotography.
You can use your Galactic Credit toward Galactic Hunter educational content, including courses, guides, books, or one-on-one consulting.
For example, if you've always struggled with processing star clusters, you could use your credit to unlock resources that help you improve that specific skill.
📅 When Do Challenges Take Place?
A new pair of challenges begins every three months:
Q1 |
Q2 |
Q3 |
Q4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 - March 31 | April 1 - June 30 | July 1 - September 30 | October 1 - December 31 |
Each quarter's announcement will be made on the Galactic Lounge and include everything you need to know.
Good luck and Clear Skies!