Irish astrophotographers invited to reach for the stars in prestigious photography competition

Ireland’s astrophotographers have been called on to submit their images for a stellar competition run by the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS).

The competition, which opened for entries on Thursday, is seeking the best astro-photographs taken in Ireland from May 1st last year to April 28th this year.

There are two categories. The first is for out-of-this-world images of, for example, deep space or the solar system.

The other is for astro-landscape images that depict a feature or element of astronomical interest and capture elements such as nature, cityscapes, buildings or monuments, land or water.

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Entries to the ‘Reach for the Stars’ competition will be judged by Brenda Fitzsimons, picture editor of The Irish Times; John Flannery, the vice-president of the Irish Astronomical Society; Peter Gallagher, senior professor and head of astronomy and astrophysics at DIAS and Niamh Breathnach, the director of Alice Public Relations.

The winning photographers in the two categories, as selected by the judging panel, will receive a prize package that includes publication of their images on the DIAS and Irish Times websites; a VIP tour of DIAS Dunsink Observatory – with the opportunity to peer through Ireland’s largest refractor telescope –, a €500 voucher for photographic/telescopic equipment, and a 12-month digital subscription to The Irish Times.

Further information, including the competition guidelines and entry form, is available at www.reachforthestars.ie.