Chichester man comes top in South Downs National Park photography category

Taking the top spot in the “Magnificent Moon” category was an eerie image of a harvest moon rising over Racton Ruins, near Chichester, West Sussex.

Almost 100 entries were submitted to this year’s competition, which celebrates the National Park’s status as one of only 21 International Dark Sky Reserves in the world and one of the most accessible places in the UK to go stargazing.

The contest was judged by “Dark Skies” Dan Oakley, an expert on the dark skies of the National Park, Steve Broadbent, from Hampshire Astronomical Group, and Elinor Newman, an astrophysicist who works on the events team at the National Park.

Taking the top spot in the “Magnificent Moon” category was an eerie image of a harvest moon rising over Racton Ruins, near Chichester, West Sussex. A harvest moon refers to the nearest full moon to the autumnal equinox and its incredible light enables farmers to work late into the night, helping them to bring in the crops from the fields.

Judges were bowled over by the composition of the photograph, which is a folly dating back to the 1760s and reputedly haunted by the ghostly figure of a woman. Nathan Hill, from Emsworth, Hampshire, picks up a £100 prize.

Judge Dan said: “This is an extraordinary image and so well-framed. It captures movement which is very difficult to do in astrophotography. It almost looks like a canon ball being fired!”

Following the festival, the shortlisted astrophotography will go into “The People’s Choice” with the chance for the public to vote for their favourite. All the winning images will be shared and celebrated during the National Park’s Dark Skies Festival, which runs from 10 to 18 February.