North Dublin winner in DIAS Reach for the Stars astrophotography competition 2025

Two photographers from North Dublin have been selected as winners of the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies’ astrophotography competition, ‘Reach for the Stars’.

For the second year in a row, Martin McCormack, based in Glasnevin, was the winner of the Out of the World – Deep Sky category.

His image, Winter Nebula in Bloom (above) captured in Glasnevin, displays the Rosette Nebula (NGC 2237), massive emission nebula located 5,200 light-years from Earth.

McCormack’s image highlights a vibrant star-forming region, combining meticulous technique with rich colour and detail which the judges commended in awarding him as the winner in this category.

Anthony Lynch, based in Dublin 7, took home two awards in this year’s competition.

His photograph, ‘Comet Catcher’ was the winner of the Night Sky in Your Hand category which celebrates images taken with only a smartphone.

The image shows the photographer standing under a tree reaching out to Comet 12P/Ponns-Brooks when it was low in the horizon in twilight.

He was also the winner of this year’s People’s Choice prize with his image Symmetry (above) which captured a sweeping panorama of the milky way on top of train tracks in Lough Boora Park, Co. Offaly.

The 2025 competition saw more than 170 entries from photographers across Ireland with photos taken between 26 April 2024 and 02 June 2025.

Commenting on this year’s competition, Dr. Eucharia Meehan, CEO and Registrar of DIAS, said: “The Reach for the Stars competition continues to reveal the incredible talent and dedication of Ireland’s astrophotographers.

“These images don’t just showcase technical skill, they allow us to see the universe from new perspectives and inspire a deeper curiosity about our night sky.”

The judging panel included: Professor Peter Gallagher, Head of Astrophysics at DIAS; Michael McCreary, President of the Irish Astronomical Society; Dr Lisa McNamee co-founder Space Medicine Ireland and Alan Betson, Irish Times photographer and multiple winner of the Press Photographer of the Year award.

Head of Astrophysics at DIAS and Chair of the judging panel, Professor Peter Gallagher said, “Now in its fifth year, the DIAS Reach for the Stars competition has reached new heights.

“It is exciting to see the competition grow. The rare appearances of the Aurora Borealis in Ireland’s skies have sparked fresh curiosity, encouraging more people to get involved in astrophotography.

“The talent and technical skill shown in each of the shortlisted entries is extraordinary, making the judges’ task of selecting winners more challenging than ever before.”

The winning images, along with a selection of the shortlisted images in the Reach for the Stars competition will be available to view as part of an outdoor exhibition, from Thursday, 21 August 2025.

DIAS’s Reach for the Stars competition is run in partnership with The Irish Times and is sponsored by MKC Communications and the Astronomical Observatories of Ireland.

The Irish Astronomical Society are initiative supporters.