The GAM 2012 Astropoetry Contest was a great success, with a total of 73 poems submitted for judging. Our thanks to all the fine poets, young and old, who contributed their work to the contest and helped make Global Astronomy Month a memorable event. Thanks also to our sponsors—Celestron, Hotech, Sky & Telescope, and Woodland Hills Telescope & Camera—for their generous donation of prizes.
Following are the winning entries, and the prizes awarded:
ADULT CATEGORY (age 18 and over):
First Place: “Star Gazing,” by Robert A. Wilcox, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
Prize: AstroMaster 130EQ telescope from Celestron
NOTE: Robert has donated his prize to an astronomy club in Nepal. Read about it here.
Second Place: “Within the Science, Art,” by Roderick Bates, Chester, Vermont, U.S.A.
Prize: Hotech AstroAimer laser pointer
Third Place: “Haiku for Space Shuttle Discovery,” by Christine Rueter, Ellicott City, Maryland, U.S.A.
Prize: Book: “Pocket Sky Atlas” from Sky & Telescope
Honorable Mention: “Meteor Showers in August,” by Kate Gleason, Keene, New Hampshire, U.S.A.
YOUNG ADULT CATEGORY (age 12–17, Middle School and High School):
First Place: “The Big Bang—The Secret Behind the Dark Skies,” by Aiman Salva Khan, Srinagar, Kashmir, India
Prize: AstroMaster 70AZ telescope from Celestron
Second Place: “Black Hole,” by Tanner Curran, Broken Arrow High School, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, U.S.A.
Prize: Celestron Upclose G2 10x50 binoculars from Woodland Hills Telescope & Camera
Third Place: “Heavenly and Serene Is the Night Sky,” by Yashasvi Jain, Patparganj, Delhi , India
Prize: Book: “Pocket Sky Atlas” from Sky & Telescope
Honorable Mention: “Earth,” by Cade Watson, Broken Arrow High School, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, U.S.A.
Honorable Mention: “The Light and the Dark,” by Suhail Karim, Stanmore, England.
CHILDREN’S CATEGORY (age 6–11, Elementary School):
First Place: “Milky Way,” by Laura Banica, London, England
Prize: FirstScope with Accessory Kit from Celestron
Second Place: “Pluto,” by Azul Romo, 4th grade, Donaldson Elementary School, Tucson, Arizona, U.S.A.
Prize: Celestron 7x50 binoculars from Woodland Hills Telescope & Camera
Third Place: “Shooting Star,” by Emily Burtnett, 4th grade, Donaldson Elementary School, Tucson, Arizona, U.S.A.
Prize: Book: “Binocular Highlights for Children” from Sky & Telescope
Honorable Mention: “Space Space It’s a Wonderful Place,” by Aiden Skidmore, 4th grade, Donaldson Elementary School, Tucson, Arizona, U.S.A.
Honorable Mention: “The Sun Is Up High,” by Jaquelyn Santos, 4th grade, Donaldson Elementary School, Tucson, Arizona, U.S.A.
In addition to the above prizes, all winners (including Honorable Mentions) will receive signed copies of the astropoetry book “First Star I See Tonight: An Exploration of Wonder” by Robert L. Eklund.
Finally, our special thanks to the contest judges—Tony Berendsen of Tahoe Star Tours, Reno, Nev., U.S.A.; Vanna Bonta, Editor of The Cosmos Review, Los Angeles, Calif., U.S.A.; and Andrei Dorian Gheorghe of the Romanian Society for Astronomy and Meteors (SARM) in Romania—who performed the difficult job of picking winners from all the fine poems entered.
Contest Sponsors:
