Donegal chairperson Mary Coughlan and members of the Glenfin club
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12 Dec 2025
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12 Dec 2025
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Brendan Alexander's image of a comet over the Bluestack Mountains
A Stranorlar photographer said he was “very pleased” to be nominated for a prestigious ‘Reach for the Stars’ astrophotography awards.
Brendan Alexander’s image of the Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS over the Bluestack Mountains was selected for the ‘Back on Earth’ category, for images that depict a feature of astronomical interest as a prominent feature and elements such as nature, land, or water.
The awards are organised by the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS), which launched an online poll for the public to vote for their favourite photo and nominee until July 24.
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Speaking to Donegal Live, Brendan said: “This is the first year that I have entered the competition, but I had seen it before. We are very pleased to be nominated for it because it is the biggest astrophotography competition in Ireland.
“I had a few images that I was excited to enter, and I was pleased that the image of the comet was shortlisted.”
Talking about the night in question, when Brendan had taken the photograph, Brendan commented: The photo I took was in October and I used my Canon 60 camera.
“I had seen in the news that this comet was going to be visible, and with comets, they may break up and not be as bright as you would expect, so it was a matter of watching it for months.
“In the days before, we had seen that the comet was bright in the southern hemisphere, and it came into the northern hemisphere in October.
“I took the photo in Drumkeen overlooking the Bluestack Mountains.”
The winning images selected by the judging panel and the public vote will be announced in August, and an outdoor exhibition will be staged by DIAS to showcase the best images.
All shortlisted images, including Brendan’s Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS over the Bluestack Mountains, can be viewed on the ‘Reach for the Stars’ website at www.reachforthestars.ie, and members of the public can cast their vote for their favourite image.
Brendan Alexander's photography can also be seen on www.donegalskies.com
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