Exploring the mysteries of the universe is not only our career but should also become our shared passion and perspective. In order to encourage all team members to personally experience the joy of astrophotography, deeply feel the technological charm of company products, and appreciate the beauty of the starry sky and the universe from different dimensions, the Integrated Management Department, co-organized by the Brand Department and the Product Department, officially kicks off the 2025 "ZWO Chasing Light - Wisdom Seeing Stars" internal astrophotography contest! As a global leader in intelligent astronomical equipment, every piece of equipment in our hands is an "exclusive key" to exploring the universe. We look forward to every team member, regardless of their position, picking up their lenses and joining us in witnessing the encounter between technology and the starry sky.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of work on the ground, don't forget to look up at the starry sky; the repetitive daily routines and complex tasks seem to be gently soothed when gazing at the Milky Way. Each of us is born as a child of the stars, embracing the world across billions of light-years.
The theme of this contest is "Capturing the Romance of the Universe with ZWO Lenses," sincerely inviting you to submit unique astrophotography works taken during your employment period. Use ZWO's equipment to record your moments in the universe—whether it's the tranquility of a bright moon hanging high, the stunning streak of a meteor across the sky, or the grandeur of interwoven galaxies, all are worthy of being cherished through the lens.
I. Theme "Seeing the Unseen — Capturing Your Starry Sky at ZWO"
Everyone has a unique universe in their eyes. Let's leverage the power of technology to document our dialogues with the stars.
II. Participants
All ZWO employees.
III. Timeline
From now until December 19, 2025.
IV. Categories
Landscape Group, Planetary Group, DSO Group, Seestar Group, Mobile Phone Group.
V. Requirements
1. Each participant can submit multiple entries per category (including collaborative works), but submissions must adhere to the requirements of the respective categories; otherwise, they will be considered invalid.
2. Submissions must be in JPG or PNG format, with the longer side not exceeding 6000 pixels. Panoramic images covering large areas may have a longer side up to 10000 pixels in principle.
3. Participants retain copyright of their submissions, but the company reserves the right to use them free of charge for promotional purposes (such as printing brochures, marketing materials, etc.) during the event, with proper credit given to the authors.
4. Award-winning works may be announced and promoted on the company's official media platforms.
5. For planetary and deep-sky object photography, ASI cameras should be used in principle.
6. For collaborative works, one representative should be designated to handle subsequent communications with the organizing committee.
VI. Submission Process
1. Enter the "Discover" module in the ZWO Astronomy Community App (AstroImg) and select the ZWO Employee Photography Contest.
2. Complete identity verification by entering your name and employee ID.
3. Share the story behind your work, providing an introduction of at least 20 words.
4. Accurately select the type of work (e.g., Deep Sky, Planetary, Solar, Lunar, Landscape, Comet, Meteor, Mobile Phone); if using Seestar, choose it under shooting device. During final judging, deep-sky works belong to the [DSO Group]; planetary, solar, and lunar works belong to the [Planetary Group]; landscape, comet, and meteor works fall into the [Landscape Group]; all Seestar works constitute the [Seestar Group]; Astronomical and nature photography captured with mobile phones belong to the [Mobile Phone Group].
5. The shooting time of submitted works must fall between January 1, 2025, and December 19, 2025.
6. Fill in the shooting location truthfully.
7. Select or fill in equipment information accurately.
VII. Judging Criteria
1. Each category will award champion, runner-up, and third-place winners.
2. One Most Popular Award winner per category based on popularity metrics from the Community (in case of tied popularity scores, the entry with more likes wins).
3. One Best Team Award.
4. All winners will be invited to attend the award ceremony.
5. All participants can redeem a Seestar merchandise gift at the Brand Department by presenting their participation information.
6. Post-announcement, winners might be featured in interviews published on ZWO's official platforms.
VIII. Evaluation Standards: Public Likes + Judges' Votes
1. Public Likes: Each like earns 2 points; each share earns 2 points (sharing via copied links requires opening the link to score; daily sharing limit: 30 points). These points solely represent popularity and do not determine final awards but are used to select the Most Popular Award.
2. December 19: End of public voting; judges' evaluation begins.
3. Before December 23: Judges provide comments on submissions within their assigned categories.
4. December 23: Final winners determined through deliberation by professional judges and publicly announced.
5. Annual Company Meeting: Unified presentation of certificates.
6. Judges cannot vote for their own submissions or those involving their teams.
7. Judging Panel: Sam, Andy, Crystal, Ann, Ethan, Jasper, Mutou.
IX. Event Timeline
1. Submission Period: Dec. 12–Dec. 19.
2. Judges' Deliberation: Dec. 20–Dec. 22.
3. Winner Announcement: Dec. 23.
4. Annual Meeting Awards: TBC.
X. Notes
1. By submitting, participants fully agree to these rules.
2. Any fraudulent behavior discovered will result in disqualification and revocation of awards.
3. No fees required; losses due to failed registration approval are self-borne.
4. This event complies with the community's Legal Statement & Privacy Policy and Software Service Agreement.
5. Apple Inc. bears no responsibility for this event or prizes. Final interpretation rights reserved by ZWO Integrated Management Department. For inquiries, contact sally.zhang@zwoastro.com