Six photographers from Galway have been shortlisted for a national astrophotpography competition.
The public has until July 13 to vote for its favourite picture in the 2026 Reach for the Stars contest.
Organised by the School of Cosmic Physics at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS ) the shortlisted images in this year’s competition include nine entries from six Galway photographers across three categories.
These are: David Mackie from Athenry, with his image A Bubble in Outer Space; Ekaterina Moskovskova from Renvyle with her images Home Beneath the Milky Way and As Above, So Below; Enda O’Loughlin from Loughrea, with his image Reflections of the Night; Felix Sproll from Galway city with his image Mourne Startrails; Joe Silke from Kilcolgan with his images Pollnabrone Dolmen Under the Northern Light, and Aurora Over Dooras Inlet; and Vladimir Kanaev from Renvyle, with his images The Neighbour Galaxy and A Walk Among the Stars.
The winner will receive a €500 voucher and publication in the Irish Times.
'The Night Sky in Your Hand' category was popular with photographers from Galway, with six out of the nine shortlisted photographers in the category being based in County Galway. This category challenges photographers to capture astronomical scenes on smartphones, and aims to highlight the accessibility of astrophotography.
Members of the public are invited to view the shortlisted images and vote for their favourite as part of the Public Choice Award.
The full exhibition is available to view online at www.reachforthestars.ie/exhibition Voting is open until 5pm July 13, and is limited to one vote per person.
