Lachlan Wilson Is a Rising Star
Year 12 student Lachlan Wilson has once again made a name for himself in the world of astrophotography, earning recognition in Australia's prestigious awards. Winning an honourable mention and securing the Junior Section for the second consecutive year, Lachlan's talent continues to impress judges and enthusiasts alike. This achievement is particularly notable considering the exceptional quality of entries in this year's David Malin Awards.
In addition to his success in the awards, Lachlan had the opportunity to showcase his skills as a photographer on a P&O Cruise ship that sailed to Ningaloo Reef for the solar eclipse in April. Not only was he paid to capture stunning images and give talks on astrophotography during the trip, but one of his photographs also received the Photo Editor's Choice in the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH). Lachlan's journey in astrophotography is truly remarkable, and he continues to inspire others with his passion and talent.
You can view more of Lachlan's images on his Instagram page @astrolach.
Can you tell us about the image you won the Junior Section of the recent David Malin Awards with?
In the 2023 David Malin Awards, I won an honourable mention in the Junior Section and took out the major Junior award. I received the honourable mention for my image, Broadband Christmas Tree Cluster, which is aptly named after the Christmas Tree Cluster in the constellation Monoceros. Located about 2300 light years away, the light was emitted from this nebula at a very similar time to when Alexander the Great was walking Earth. This nebula is an emission cluster, which is a hydrogen-rich region where stars form. As it is a faint nebula, I took this image from pristine dark skies, well away from large cities like Canberra and Sydney.
The image that won the major Junior award, Rosette Nebula SHO, is an image of the large star forming region, also in Monoceros. Using specific filters, I captured three different wavelengths of light and combined them in a post-processing software to create the colour palette that is seen. Sometimes called the Hubble Palette due to its common usage in Hubble images, it maps sulphur-wavelength data to red, hydrogen-wavelength data to green, and oxygen-wavelength data to blue. This image was taken over three nights in Canberra under moderately light polluted skies, hence the extra nights.
How does your winning image compare to the image you won the Junior Section with in 2022?
The image that won this year reflected the work that I have put in over the past year. My philosophy at the start of last year was to smash out as many images as I could, as quickly as I could. I managed to cover a large portion of the easily available targets this way, but looking back, they are not up to the standard that I look for now. This year’s image of the Rosette Nebula is a culmination of three nights of photography, spread across about a month. It also includes many hours of processing data to make it look exactly as I envisioned.
The image also represents the amazing kindness that runs through the veins of Australia's network of astrophotographers. I met so many photographers when I travelled to Parkes last year for the awards ceremony, but one stood out. Shaun (@dark_moon_astrophotography on Instagram) heard that I only had five out of seven filters for a full set. He used different ones to me, but had the two extras that I needed. He generously donated them to me, which have made huge improvements to my images! Thanks Shaun!
How did it feel to win the Junior Section again this year and to be selected for Photo Editor’s Choice in SMH?
I was honoured to receive the Junior prize due to the general improvement in quality over the entire competition. Last year's images would not have rated a highly commended in this year’s competition. It was an exciting surprise to be selected for the Photo Editor's Choice in the Junior category with my image of the solar eclipse totality taken in April 2023.
It must have also been an honour to be invited on the P&O Cruise to Ningaloo Reef, Exmouth. Tell us about that experience and how you found presenting sessions.
I had the amazing honour of being invited as a presenter on the P&O Cruise up to Exmouth for the 2023 Exmouth total solar eclipse, alongside many other knowledgeable astronomers from across Australia. I gave a presentation to the attendees of the cruise on my astrophotography and took photos of the eclipse from the top deck of the boat. The partial solar eclipse lasted for three hours, but totality lasted for just 58 seconds. We spent nearly a day testing and setting up all the equipment, and the eclipse time just flew by as we were so focused on getting the images.
How did you get into astrophotography, and how do you keep progressing your skills? Is there a network of young astrophotographers in Canberra?
I started astrophotography after buying a telescope at the Radford Fete in 2019. I spent about a year using just simple gear (a DSLR and tripod) and getting great results. I then began upgrading to the gear that I have now. I've met so many amazing people through the Canberra Astronomical Society who have lent me gear, taken me out on dark sky nights and given me so much encouragement and advice. There are a few young astrophotographers in Australia, with only two or three in Canberra, which means that we all know each other and are good friends.
What’s next for you in your astrophotography ventures? Are you hoping to pursue astrophotography after College?
Astrophotography will always be a passion of mine, and I will continue it into the future. Capturing the night sky has always brought me great joy, and I will always have it as an amazing hobby. After school, I aim to do some form of engineering, definitely something to do with space.