John’s photo was captured of a strong display of the northern lights on the evening of November 5, 2023. Observers were thrilled to see an appearance of STEVE (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement) at one point, a phenomenon caused by plasma flow in our atmosphere. STEVE is the thin pinkish ribbon of light in the foreground of the broad aurora band. The tree is framed by the Pleiades on the left and bright Jupiter on the right. The photo was taken with a tripod-mounted iPhone 12 allowing 30 seconds exposure in night mode.

Nenagh photographer up for award

Take part in online public vote

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John Flannery from Nenagh, 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.

Mr Flannery has been shortlisted in the ‘Night Sky in Your Hand’ category for his image, ‘Aurora with STEVE’.

While a high-profile judging panel will select the overall winning entries in the coming weeks, an online vote was launched so 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, and 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. The categories included Night Sky in Your Hand: Images taken with only a smartphone, and without telescopes, of an astronomical scene.

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.

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!”

Votes for the Public Choice Award are restricted to one vote per person, and voting will close at midday on Friday, July 5.

DIAS’s ‘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 is available at https://reachforthestars.ie/.

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