Reach for the Stars: The best of Irish astrophotography
The winner, runners-up and more in Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies’ night-sky competition
Errigal Nightscape, by Patryk Sadowski: the night sky at Loch an Ghainimh, or Lough Agannive, in Co Donegal, with Mount Errigal in the background
O’Brien’s Tower under Starry Skies, by Sean O’Riordan: the night sky above the restored tower at the Cliffs of Moher, in Co Clare
A meteorite over Valentia island, in Co Kerry, by Stefanos Politis
The Wizard Nebula, by Tom Dinneen: nebulae are giant clouds of dust and gas. This photograph, taken from the photographer’s home in Castleknock in Dublin, shows the Wizard Nebula, in the Cepheus constellation. It is about 7,200 light-years from Earth
Gazing, by Éanna Donohoe: a self-portrait in front of the comet Neowise, taken from the lane behind the photographer’s house in Ballyleague, Co Roscommon, in July 2020. This was during the time the newly discovered comet came closest to Earth
Winner of the Public Choice Award: Comet Neowise over Ardmore, Co Waterford, by Charles Coughlan. In the summer of 2020 Neowise was one of the brightest comets to appear in Irish skies for more than a decade
Overall runner-up: North Star Jesuit House Rahan, Tullamore, Co Offaly by Tom O’Hanlon. These stacked images, taking in the North Star, show Earth’s rotation. They were taken at Tullybeg House, a former Jesuit boarding school
Overall runner-up: Cygnus Mosaic in Hubble Palette, Newtownabbey, Belfast, by Ciaran P O’Donnell. A mosaic of the Cygnus constellation, which covers an area of the sky the width of 40 full moons
Overall winner: To the Waters and the Wild, by Josh Mathews, featuring the night sky over Crocknaraw, on the Connemara coast, in Co Galway
