My 2c..
I'm more than happy for some motivated individuals to start up the Monthly Challenges for DSO imaging again. As RB pointed out, it's been done in the past with some moderate success, but ended up stopping because the motivated individuals at the time stopped
It used to be combined with the Monthly Observing Challenge - the same object(s) were chosen for both visual observers and imagers. The visual observers would post their observing reports and/or sketches, and the imagers would post their images.
Then a DSO challenge was run separately (some years later) with some success, but again it was up to the motivated individual at the time.
The observing guys have now started up the Monthly Observing Challenge again, which is great.
From my experience, the best way to run this new DSO challenge, is:
- No restrictions on who can post an image
- No restrictions on value of the gear used
- No voting for the 'best'. It's a "challenge", not a competition.
- Contributors should post as much information as possible about the gear used/processing used, so that others can learn from it.
You'll get to see the same object from many different types of gear, focal length, cameras, conditions, and of course the skill of the imager and the processing used.
The aim of it initially was simply to give the imaging/observing a purpose - to get people out there focusing on a target.
So ideally you'd want people to capture the target during that month, rather than just post an image they took previously. But I don't think there should be any hard and fast rule about that. It's just for fun, after all.
Anyway they're just my thoughts. Happy for you guys to do it as you see fit - you're the motivated individuals this time around so it's up to you
Happy to help any way I can, sticky the threads etc.
Cheers