Felix Sproll's Inver Fishing Hut Milkyway, shortlisted in the Back on Earth – Landmark category. ‘I had scouted out this location for a Milkyway shot last summer ... but getting it in the right conditions is the tricky part in the west of Ireland,’ says Felix. ‘I captured the Milky Way moments before dawn broke and the sky slowly started to brighten.’ Photograph: Felix Sproll

In pictures: The winning photographs of Ireland’s night skies

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Reach for the Stars 2025 winners announced: More than 170 entries were submitted by astrophotographers from across the country

Hosanna Boulter
Sat Aug 16 2025 - 06:00

To infinity and beyond ... This year’s winners of the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) photography competition, Reach for the Stars, show us images of space that take us all across the galaxy.

There were five categories open to the public for submissions and entrants could submit images taken in Ireland between April 26th last year and June 2nd this year.

For the first time, under-18s were eligible to enter the competition as they could submit photos to the Night Sky in Your Hand category, in which the judges asked for images taken using a smartphone.

This year the competition saw more than 170 entries from photographers across Ireland. Mark McCormack won the Out of this World – Deep Sky category for the second year in a row.

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The judging panel included: Pro Peter Gallagher, head of astrophysics at DIAS; Michael McCreary, president of the Irish Astronomical Society; Dr Lisa McNamee co-founder Space Medicine Ireland; and Alan Betson, Irish Times photographer and multiple winner of the Press Photographer of the Year award.

Winter Nebula in Full Bloom, photographed by Martin McCormack, Dublin, the winning image in the Out of the World – Deep Sky category. An active star-forming region of ionised hydrogen about 130 light-years in diameter, the Rosette Nebula is located in the constellation Monoceros, about 5,200 light-years from Earth
Winter Nebula in Full Bloom, photographed by Martin McCormack, Dublin, the winning image in the Out of the World – Deep Sky category. An active star-forming region of ionised hydrogen about 130 light-years in diameter, the Rosette Nebula is located in the constellation Monoceros, about 5,200 light-years from Earth

The competition is run in partnership with The Irish Times and is sponsored by MKC Communications and the Astronomical Observatories of Ireland, with The Irish Astronomical Observatories Society serving as “initiative supporters”.

There will be a prize ceremony for the winners at DIAS on Wednesday, August 20th and an exhibition of winning and shortlisted photographs will be open to the public from Thursday, August 21st.

The Lone Tree, by Enda O’Loughlin, shortlisted in Out of this World – Planetary. 'It was a full moon in September and I wanted to capture a photo of the moon over this iconic lone tree in the Burren limestone pavement,' says Enda. 'The image is really two images taken within a couple of seconds of each other; one is exposed and focused for the Moon and one is is focused on the lone tree; both images are edited on Lightroom Classic and merged into Photoshop to show the focus on both the Lone Tree and Moon'
The Lone Tree, by Enda O’Loughlin, shortlisted in Out of this World – Planetary. 'It was a full moon in September and I wanted to capture a photo of the moon over this iconic lone tree in the Burren limestone pavement,' says Enda. 'The image is really two images taken within a couple of seconds of each other; one is exposed and focused for the Moon and one is is focused on the lone tree; both images are edited on Lightroom Classic and merged into Photoshop to show the focus on both the Lone Tree and Moon'
Crescent Nebula and Soap Bubble Nebula by John Walsh, shortlisted in Out of the World – Deep Sky. 'The floating space brain, aka the Crescent Nebula ... 17.5 hours captured over five nights. I have always been intrigued by this weird object and have dreamed of imaging it since I started the hobby last year,' says John. It is the result of a stellar explosion that occurred more than 250,000 years ago
Crescent Nebula and Soap Bubble Nebula by John Walsh, shortlisted in Out of the World – Deep Sky. 'The floating space brain, aka the Crescent Nebula ... 17.5 hours captured over five nights. I have always been intrigued by this weird object and have dreamed of imaging it since I started the hobby last year,' says John. It is the result of a stellar explosion that occurred more than 250,000 years ago
Skellig Michael Under the Harvest Full Moon, by Goran Loncar, shortlisted in Out of this World – Planetary. 'This is a result of multiple exposures blended together in Photoshop. Most of the blend was done on a sky around the Moon from same location. I didn't touch the size and position of the Moon'
Skellig Michael Under the Harvest Full Moon, by Goran Loncar, shortlisted in Out of this World – Planetary. 'This is a result of multiple exposures blended together in Photoshop. Most of the blend was done on a sky around the Moon from same location. I didn't touch the size and position of the Moon'
Winning image in the Public Vote category: Symmetry, by Anthony Lynch, Dublin. 'The train tracks are a new feature in this sculpture park in Boora,' says Anthony. 'I used an astro modified Canon 6D with a 20mm lens at f/2 and ISO 800 to capture this sweeping panorama of the milky way across the top with the tracks. It's about a 20-shot pano with each shot being 15 seconds exposure'
Winning image in the Public Vote category: Symmetry, by Anthony Lynch, Dublin. 'The train tracks are a new feature in this sculpture park in Boora,' says Anthony. 'I used an astro modified Canon 6D with a 20mm lens at f/2 and ISO 800 to capture this sweeping panorama of the milky way across the top with the tracks. It's about a 20-shot pano with each shot being 15 seconds exposure'
Aurora above the Golden Fields, by Raluca Lica, Kildare, the winning image in the Back on Earth – Landscape category. 'The image was captured during the impressive geomagnetic storm on the night between May 10th and 11th, 2024. I was a little sceptic about the forecast and I was quite late getting on the move,' says Raluca. 'However, as I was loading my gear into the car, the sky suddenly brightened up and the beams started dancing. It was an unbelievable experience. The photo was taken with my Sony A7iii camera and my Sony 20mm lens, at ISO 1250, at f/1.8, three seconds exposure'
Aurora above the Golden Fields, by Raluca Lica, Kildare, the winning image in the Back on Earth – Landscape category. 'The image was captured during the impressive geomagnetic storm on the night between May 10th and 11th, 2024. I was a little sceptic about the forecast and I was quite late getting on the move,' says Raluca. 'However, as I was loading my gear into the car, the sky suddenly brightened up and the beams started dancing. It was an unbelievable experience. The photo was taken with my Sony A7iii camera and my Sony 20mm lens, at ISO 1250, at f/1.8, three seconds exposure'
Comet Tsuchinshan, ATLAS In All Its Glory, photographed by Brian O’Halloran, Waterford, the winning image in Out of the World – Planetary. The comet passed into our evening skies in mid-October 2024. 'It was an easy naked eye sight, and displayed not only a lovely tail but also an anti-tail, an apparent spike projecting from a comet's coma which seems to go towards the Sun and consists of larger dust particles left behind by the comet. This is rarely seen, and it was a privilege to capture'
Comet Tsuchinshan, ATLAS In All Its Glory, photographed by Brian O’Halloran, Waterford, the winning image in Out of the World – Planetary. The comet passed into our evening skies in mid-October 2024. 'It was an easy naked eye sight, and displayed not only a lovely tail but also an anti-tail, an apparent spike projecting from a comet's coma which seems to go towards the Sun and consists of larger dust particles left behind by the comet. This is rarely seen, and it was a privilege to capture'
The Voyager, by Liam Reddall, Dublin, the winning image in Back on Earth – Landmark. 'I had seen the Voyager Statue by Linda Brunker while scouting locations online and knew it would make a captivating foreground subject. This bronze stature looks out over the coast to the sea, allowing for an uninterrupted view of the night sky. Lit by the surrounding streetlamps, it takes on a golden glow under long-exposure photography'
The Voyager, by Liam Reddall, Dublin, the winning image in Back on Earth – Landmark. 'I had seen the Voyager Statue by Linda Brunker while scouting locations online and knew it would make a captivating foreground subject. This bronze stature looks out over the coast to the sea, allowing for an uninterrupted view of the night sky. Lit by the surrounding streetlamps, it takes on a golden glow under long-exposure photography'
Winning image, Night Sky in Your Hand: Comet Catcher, by Anthony Lynch, Dublin. 'Myself standing under a tree in Phoenix Park, reaching out to comet 12P Ponns Brooks when it was low on the horizon in twilight'
Winning image, Night Sky in Your Hand: Comet Catcher, by Anthony Lynch, Dublin. 'Myself standing under a tree in Phoenix Park, reaching out to comet 12P Ponns Brooks when it was low on the horizon in twilight'
Sunflower Galaxy by Mark Gribbin, shortlisted in Out of this World – Deep Sky. 'The image was taken from the heart of Carlow town. This is my second real attempt at focusing on a galaxy for multiple nights,' says Mark. 'I was confident when beginning this session that I would be able to do this galaxy justice and I feel I've done that here'
Sunflower Galaxy by Mark Gribbin, shortlisted in Out of this World – Deep Sky. 'The image was taken from the heart of Carlow town. This is my second real attempt at focusing on a galaxy for multiple nights,' says Mark. 'I was confident when beginning this session that I would be able to do this galaxy justice and I feel I've done that here'
Waterford’s Crowning Glory, by Adrian Hendroff, shortlisted in Back on Earth – Landscape. 'Coumshingaun is a colossal glacial wonder; there is nothing in Ireland quite like it,' says Adrian. 'At over 2,500 feet, it boasts a stupendous view from its cliff-top, with a large pear-shaped lake sitting at the bottom of a rocky coum. Ever since taking up astrophotography, it's been a yearning ambition of mine to shoot the Milky Way from up here. Having waited for five years, a weather window finally presented itself in early April. The temperature was just below freezing but it was just amazing to see the millions of stars twinkling in the night sky'
Waterford’s Crowning Glory, by Adrian Hendroff, shortlisted in Back on Earth – Landscape. 'Coumshingaun is a colossal glacial wonder; there is nothing in Ireland quite like it,' says Adrian. 'At over 2,500 feet, it boasts a stupendous view from its cliff-top, with a large pear-shaped lake sitting at the bottom of a rocky coum. Ever since taking up astrophotography, it's been a yearning ambition of mine to shoot the Milky Way from up here. Having waited for five years, a weather window finally presented itself in early April. The temperature was just below freezing but it was just amazing to see the millions of stars twinkling in the night sky'
WeekendDublin Institute for Advanced Studies