Mullingar photographer’s image chosen for outdoor exhibition
by Emily Sheehan
Mullingar based photographer Ronan Hunt has been featured in an outdoor exhibition run by the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS).
Ronan's photo, ‘The Aurora Reflected on Lough Owel’, has been selected to be showcased as part the 2024 'Reach for the Stars' astrophotography competition.
The photo captures the Aurora Borealis shining above Lough Owel, in Co. Westmeath, during the Aurora display in May of this year.
Ronan's image shall join 23 others in a free exhibition at the DIAS headquarters, at 10 Burlington Road, Dublin, from Friday July 26.
The success of the Midlands in this exhibition is also reflected in the inaugural 'Night Sky in Your Hand' category, in which Seanie Morris from Blueball, Co.Offaly, won first prize. His image, 'Sam and Lucy's first BIG aurora' displays the silhouettes of his children against the backdrop of May's Aurora display.
The competition winners were chosen by a judging panel, who faced the challenge of choosing between over 200 entries.
The 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.
A gallery of the winning images is available online at www.reachforthestars.ie.
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”, Meehan continued, “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,” Meehan concluded, thanking those who entered and shared their “passion and creativity”.
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.
DIAS is the world’s second, and Ireland’s only, Institute for Advanced Studies, and is a globally embedded institution that attracts international scholars and academics.
The centre conducts and publishes advanced research across three areas: Celtic Studies, Theoretical Physics and Cosmic Physics – which encompasses Astronomy, Astrophysics and Geophysics.
Further information is available at www.dias.ie.