Kim Seul-woo’s ‘Heart of the Rose, a Golden Wave’s Pulse’ won the Grand Prize at the 34th Astrophotography Contest. Provided by the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute.
The magnificent Rosette Nebula, with its crimson gas clouds and turquoise nebulosity unfolding like layered petals around central starlight, was captured on camera. Located in the constellation Monoceros, the Rosette Nebula is an emission nebula where gas surrounding a central star cluster glows red like a rose. However, this work focused on the internal texture and flow of the nebula rather than its brilliant appearance. In the 34th Astrophotography Contest, works that captured such intimate beauty of the universe were selected as winners.
The Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) announced on the 22nd that after reviewing 264 entries, Kim Seul-woo’s ‘Heart of the Rose, a Golden Wave’s Pulse’ was selected as the grand prize winner of this year’s contest.
The Astrophotography Contest is an event that KASI has held since 1993 to foster interest and public engagement in astronomy through astrophotography, illustrations, and video content. The contest has separate judging for photography and video categories, with themes divided into Deep Sky, Earth & Space, and Solar System.
From all submissions, a Grand Prize, Excellence Award, and Special Award were selected separately. In the photography division, a Gold Prize (1), Silver Prize (2), and Bronze Prize (4) were awarded for each theme, while the video division awarded a Gold Prize (1), Silver Prize (1), and Bronze Prize (2). Winning entries from youth participants also received the ‘Sprout Award’.
The judging panel commented, “Overall, the quality and completeness of the submissions have improved,” adding, “The competition was fierce due to the many high-quality entries.” They also expressed hope for future works that reveal the artist’s thematic awareness, color composition, and design, in addition to technical perfection.
The winning works can be viewed on the KASI website (kasi.re.kr) and will be part of a touring exhibition starting at the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) to commemorate Space and Aeronautics Day on May 27.
Excellence Award winner Kim Dong-hoon’s ‘Dramatic Moment of a Total Solar Eclipse.’ Provided by the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute
The Excellence Award went to Kim Dong-hoon’s ‘Dramatic Moment of a Total Solar Eclipse,’ which captured the total solar eclipse in Quebec, Canada, in 2024. A total solar eclipse is an astronomical phenomenon where the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, completely obscuring the Sun.
Special Award winner Choi Sang-joo’s ‘Beautiful Photographic Work.’ Provided by the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute
The Special Award was given to Choi Sang-joo’s ‘Beautiful Photographic Work,’ which depicts a photographer and a model working on a hill as the full moon rises at dusk.
Deep Sky Gold Prize winner Song Won-joon’s ‘Wounded Galaxies, a Record of Collisions.’ Provided by the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute
The Gold Prize in the Deep Sky category was awarded to Song Won-joon for ‘Wounded Galaxies, a Record of Collisions,’ which records layers of the universe through faint structures connecting numerous galaxies. He also received the Sprout Award.
Earth & Space Gold Prize winner Choi Sang-heon’s ‘A Celestial Show Over the Skies of South Korea.’ Provided by the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute
The Gold Prize in the Earth & Space category went to Choi Sang-heon’s ‘A Celestial Show Over the Skies of South Korea,’ which captured the progression of a total lunar eclipse over Lotte Tower. A Gold Prize for the Solar System category was not selected in this year’s contest.
In the video division, Son Da-bin’s ‘Dreaming of a Journey Through the Milky Way,’ which expresses the emotions and atmosphere of a night of stargazing, won both the Gold Prize and the Sprout Award.
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