Offaly man's stunning smartphone photograph wins prestigious competition

An Offaly man’s photo, ‘Sam and Lucy's first BIG aurora’, has been selected as a winning image in the 2024 Reach for the Stars astrophotography competition, run by the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS).

‘Sam and Lucy's first BIG aurora’, taken by Seanie Morris, from Blueball, Co. Offaly, was the winning image in the ‘Night Sky in Your Hand’ category.

This category called for images of an astronomical scene taken with only a smartphone, and without a telescope. The winning image captures the aurora borealis at twilight, situated in a rural area. Seanie Morris photographed the silhouettes of his children, Sam and Lucy, with the northern lights dancing in the sky above them.

Seanie’s winning image will be showcased as part of an outdoor exhibition at DIAS headquarters at 10 Burlington Road, Dublin, from Thursday, July 25. The 24 top-rated images from the competition will be displayed alongside Mr. Morris’s. The exhibition is free to attend.

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The winners were selected by a judging panel following a meticulous judging process of over 200 entries. The judging panel included Prof. Peter Gallagher, Head of Astrophysics at DIAS, Brenda Fitzsimons, former Picture Editor, The Irish Times; Michael McCreary, President, Irish Astronomical Society; and Niamh Breathnach, Director, Alice Public Relations.

Commenting on the success of the competition, Dr. Eucharia Meehan, CEO and Registrar of DIAS said: “I would like to extend my congratulations to the winners of the competition on their spellbinding entries. Each year I am blown away by the talent and creativity of astrophotographers in Ireland. What is most important is that the images are a window into what is happening in our universe, and they can contribute to our understanding of the night sky.

“Astrophotography is about the interactions between humanity and the universe, and it can be a tool to engage the general public in science and astronomy. At DIAS, we are extremely proud of our involvement in the area of space research with initiatives like the Astronomical Observatories of Ireland, a historic partnership between DIAS – Dunsink Observatory, Armagh Observatory and Planetarium and Birr Castle Demesne. We are delighted that the Astronomical Observatories of Ireland has come on as a sponsor for this year’s competition.

“It’s exciting to see such high numbers of engagement with the competition this year in both entries and the public vote. We hope that more people stop by to visit the physical exhibition at Burlington Road over the coming weeks to appreciate the images in person. I’d like to thank all of those who entered for sharing their passion and creativity with us. I hope that the night sky continues to be a source of inspiration, creativity and wisdom going forward.”

The winning images are all available to view now online on www.reachforthestars.ie.