Mayo astro-photographer among shortlist for next stage of DIAS competition

Castlebar native Shane Lavelle has been selected for the next stage of the prestigious Reach for the Stars astrophotography competition, run by the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS). The competition aims to find the best astro-photographs taken in Ireland over the past year.

Shane has been shortlisted in the Back on Earth – Landscape category for his image entitled ‘Winter Milkyway’. The photo captures the movement of flowing water under the clear skies of Achill Island and part of the Milky Way galaxy rising in the west, the water from a receding wave flowing around rocks in the foreground.

While a high-profile judging panel will select the overall winning entries in the coming weeks, an online vote has been launched so that members of the public can also have their say.

All shortlisted images can now be viewed on the Reach for the Stars website (www.reachforthestars.ie), where members of the public can cast their vote for their favourite image.

Over 230 images were submitted to the competition in total this year – the most ever received – with 50 selected for the shortlist and public vote. Entrants were invited to submit entries across five distinct categories in the competition: Night Sky in Your Hand (images taken with only a smartphone, and without telescopes, of an astronomical scene); Out of this World – Planetary (images of the planets, sun and moon); Out of this World – Deep Sky (images of celestial objects that exist outside our solar system, such as nebulae, star clusters and galaxies); Back on Earth – Landscape (images that depict a feature of astronomical interest as a prominent feature and elements, such as nature, land or water); and Back on Earth – Landmark (images that depict a feature of astronomical interest as a prominent feature and elements, such as cityscapes, buildings, houses, historical structures or monuments).

The winning images selected by the judging panel and the public vote will be announced in July, and an outdoor exhibition will be staged by DIAS to showcase the best images.

Alongside the winner of the Public Choice Award, the overall winners will be chosen by the judging panel for Reach for the Stars, which includes Professor Peter Gallagher, head of astrophysics at DIAS; Brenda Fitzsimons, picture editor of The Irish Times; Michael McCreary, president of the Irish Astronomical Society; and Niamh Breathnach, director, Alice Public Relations.

Commenting, Dr. Eucharia Meehan, CEO and registrar of DIAS, said: “The online public vote to select the winner of the Public Choice Award is a chance for the public to have their say in this year’s top astro-photographs. The online exhibition is a great opportunity for people to learn about our solar system, the galaxies around us and what lies in the night sky. It will be a difficult task to choose a favourite from the shortlisted entries!”

Dr. Meehan added: “I’m so impressed by the level of creativity and skill we have amongst photographers in Mayo and right across the country. This year has seen the highest number of entries in the history of the competition, and we hope to see the interest in our night skies continue to grow.”

Professor Gallagher stated: “I’m delighted to return for a fourth year of judging for the Reach for the Stars competition. Photographers have shown great creativity and technical skill capturing everything, from stars and galaxies that are millions of light years away to stunning scenery back on earth.

“We hope the people of Mayo will get involved again this year and have their say by voting for their favourite image.”

Votes for the Public Choice Award are restricted to one vote per person, and voting will close at midday on Friday, July 5. The DIAS Reach for the Stars competition is being run in partnership with The Irish Times, and is sponsored by Alice Public Relations and the Astronomical Observatories of Ireland. The Irish Astronomical Society are initiative supporters. Further information, including the online gallery and background information on the competition, is available at https://reachforthestars.ie.