In July 2017, the Central West Astronomical Society's astrophotography competition was held again as part of the CWAS AstroFest. Amateur astronomers and photographers from around Australia were invited to take part in the exhibition and to submit their astrophotographs for consideration in the prestigious "David Malin Awards". This year's competition had eight categories: Deep Sky Wide-Field Nightscapes Solar System Animated Sequences: Scientific Aesthetic Themed Section - "Airglow" Junior (18 years old and younger) The photographs were judged by world-renowned astrophotographer, Dr David Malin, without David being aware of the identity of the photographers. The winners were presented with the "David Malin Awards" in the presence of invited dignitaries, during the CWAS AstroFest conference dinner on 15 July 2017. The dignitaries included Peter Robertson, Dr Yuri Beletsky, Christopher Go, Cr Barbara Newton (Deputy Mayor of Parkes Council), Jensen Baptista (Head of Social Media, Canon Australia), Dr Fred Watson and Marnie Ogg (Sydney Observatory). It was not just technical skill that was awarded. The prizes went to pictures that captured the beauty of the sky and the intrinsic interest of astronomy in an aesthetically pleasing manner. Canon Australia supported the competition with Estore Voucher prizes to the value of $10,000. Mr Jeff Darmanin, a News Corp. Picture Editor, judged the "Photo Editor's Choice" awards and gave his pick from each category. His overall winner was awarded the Photo Editor's Choice Award. Last year's exhibitions were a resounding success. The two parallel exhibitions were viewed by over 191,000 people Australia-wide. This year's permanent exhibition will be on show at the CSIRO Parkes Observatory's Visitor's Centre for one year from 16 July 2017. A second touring exhibition, organised by the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, will travel to selected venues, beginning with Sydney Observatory on 10 August 2017. To have received any one of these awards is a great honour. Congratulations!

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The Competition - Category Winners

© Phil Hart

Winner: Phil Hart Deep Sky OVERALL WINNER "Witch's Head Nebula" Citation: "One of the nearest dust clouds, IC 2118, or Witch Head Nebula, is a faint and detailed reflection nebula, set in a rich field of stars. In this orientation, it has an evocative shape, like an open hand. This is one of the best images I have seen of this object and does full justice to its delicate structure and colour, with pin-sharp stars all around."

© Peter Ward

Winner: Peter Ward Solar System "Solar Storm" Citation: "Images like this could only be made with professional telescopes not so long ago. Now, with patience, persistence and some elaborate processing they can be made from your backyard. This is a fine example, revealing astonishing detail and texture in the surface of the Sun."

© Eddie Trimarchi

Winner: Eddie Trimarchi Nightscapes "Surfer's Paradise and Perigee Moon" Citation: "Natural-looking night-time scenes with a wide range of lighting conditions are notoriously difficult to shoot, especially into the light. This one succeeds brilliantly, capturing subtle detail in the clouds and shadows, and retaining it in the water reflections, all in a well-composed scene."

© Troy Casswell

Winner: Troy Casswell Wide-Field "Milky Way Rift" Citation: "The red of hydrogen-alpha is enhanced in this fine, highly detailed, wide-angle mosaic image of the brightest part of Milky Way. The colours of the stars of the Galaxy's bulge and its masking dust are beautifully rendered, as is the intriguing multi-coloured nebulosity around Rho Ophiuchus and Antares, with Mars and Saturn in attendance."

© James Garlick

Winner: James Garlick Theme - "Airglow" "Red Airglow Over Calverts" Citation: "Airglow is ever-present in the night sky, but too faint to be seen in colour. Sometimed it is structured as here, but is not often such an undiluted red. Its faintness and angluar extent make it a challenge for modern digital cameres, and this superb example is compiled from 20, 20-second exposures, seamlessly combined."

© Baillie Farley

Winner: Baillie Farley Junior & Photo Editor's Pick "Emu in the Sky" Citation: "This is an accomplished image of the southern Milky Way, that combines eight, 13-second exposures from a camera with a relatively small sensor. The colour balance and dynamic range are expertly rendered, and the scene is enhanced by a well placed tree."

© Paul Haese

Winner: Paul Haese Animated Sequences - Aesthetic "Axial" Citation: "The air-glow and glimpses of the Aurora Australis enhance this artfully assembled short time-lapse sequence, which emphasises the rising of the Milky Way. Carefully selected foregrounds and a cameo appearance from the zodiacal light add to the visual interest."

© Phil Hart

Winner: Phil Hart Animated Sequences - Scientific "Meteor Train" Citation: "Long-lasting trails from meteors are rare, and this one persisted for almost an hour. Patience is needed to record a time-lapse sequence of something that is soon too faint to see. The scene is enhanced by the passage of clouds, both terrestrial and Magellanic, and the enduring trail itself reveals much about high altitude winds."

The Photo Editor's Choice

© Luke Tscharke

Winner: Luke Tscharke Nightscapes Photo Editor's Choice - judged by Jeff Darmanin "Superman Skies" Citation: "This image has a beautiful composition and exposure. A wonderful mix of man-made beauty and nature at its best. The falling stars added another extra element."

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The Competition - Honorable Mentions

© Tim Carruthers	© Andrew Campbell
"Metallic Rose" Tim Carruthers	"Sagittarius Sunflowers" Andrew Campbell Photo Editor's Pick

Wide-Field

© Peter Patonai	© Peter Patonai	© Luke Tscharke
"Rho Ophiuchi Outshines Comet Clark" Peter Patonai	"Kitty Loves Seafood" Peter Patonai	"Time to Shine" Luke Tscharke Photo Editor's Pick

Nightscapes

© Stephen Mudge	© Judith Conning	© Anne Algar
"Munduberra Milky Way and Airglow"" Stephen Mudge	"Arctic Moonrise" Judith Conning	"Abandoned House" Anne Algar

Solar System

© Peter Ward	© Stefan Buda
"Variable Star" Peter Ward	"The Mists of Mars" Stefan Buda

© Stefan Buda	© Paul Sartory
"Lunar Detail" Stefan Buda	"Solar Active Region AR2488 in Halpha" Paul Sartory