'Reach for the Stars': Longford photographer shortlisted for prestigious competition
Cloondara’s Stephan Thomson was among those selected for the 2026 Reach for the Stars astrophotography competition
A Longford photographer has been shortlisted for a prestigious national astrophotography competition celebrating the beauty of Ireland's night skies.
Cloondara’s Stephan Thomson was among those selected for the 2026 Reach for the Stars astrophotography competition, organised by the School of Cosmic Physics at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS).
Stephan’s shortlisted image, titled Light Pools, captures the constellation Orion rising up above pools in the boglands.
His incredible image showcases the natural beauty of the Longford landscape illuminated by the natural light of the night sky.
Members of the public are now being invited to vote for their favourite image as part of the competition's Public Choice Award.
The full exhibition can be viewed online, with voting open until 5pm on July 13. Voting is limited to one vote per person.
Speaking about this year’s entries, Dr Eucharia Meehan, CEO and Registrar of DIAS, said: “Each year the submissions to Reach for the Stars exceed all expectation in their creativity and technical ability, and this year the standard has been raised once again.
“It is fantastic to see so many submissions from across Ireland, and I would encourage everyone to visit the website and have your say in voting for the image that stands out to you!”
Alongside the Public Choice Award, overall winners of the competition will be selected by an expert judging panel, bringing together experience from science, media and public engagement.
The panel this year includes Dan Dennison, Visual Editor, The Irish Times; Dr Donnacha O’Driscoll, President of the Irish Astronomical Society; Professor Peter Gallagher, Senior Professor and Head of Astronomy and Astrophysics at DIAS; and Dr Niamh Shaw, Scientist, Engineer, and one of Ireland’s leading Science Communicators.
The winning photographers in the ‘Out of this World’ and ‘Back on Earth’ categories, as selected by the judging panel, will receive a prize package that includes:
Publication of their images on the DIAS and The Irish Times websites;
Passes to the three sites of the Astronomical Observatories of Ireland – DIAS Dunsink Observatory, Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, and Birr Castle Demesne;
A €500 voucher for photographic equipment; and a digital subscription to The Irish Times.
The winner of the Public Choice category, as voted for by the public, and the winner of the ‘Night Sky in Your Hand’ category will each receive a voucher to the value of €250 for photographic equipment, along with passes to the three sites of the Astronomical Observatories of Ireland – DIAS Dunsink Observatory, Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, and Birr Castle Demesne.
Two runner-up prizes from each of the Out of this World and Back on Earth categories will also be awarded vouchers to the value of €250 for photographic equipment and passes to the three sites of the Astronomical Observatories of Ireland.
Winning and highly commended images will also be included in exhibitions at DIAS Headquarters, Burlington Road, Dublin 4 and at DIAS Dunsink Observatory later in 2026.
Furthermore, all shortlisted images will be included in an online exhibition on the competition website reachforthestars.ie.