Mark’s galaxy photo shines in competition
Mark Gribbin with his image 'Sunflower Galaxy'
A CARLOW astrophotographer has been recognised for his stunning image of the Sunflower Galaxy after being shortlisted in Ireland’s biggest astronomy photo competition.
Mark Gribbin’s photograph was selected for the shortlist in the ‘Out of this World – Deep Sky’ category of this year’s competition, organised by the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS). The competition attracted more than 170 entries from photographers across Ireland, making Gribbin’s achievement even more impressive.
His winning image captures the intricate spiral structure of the Sunflower Galaxy, a feat made possible by the dedicated observatory he built in his back garden and months of patient tracking work.
“I spent a long time tracking the Sunflower, editing the images and stacking them on top of each other to create the photo,” Gribbin explained in a July interview with . “I specifically built a rig that would let me shoot galaxies and I tracked it with very high precision using long exposures.”
The Carlow photographer, who pursues astrophotography as a hobby, spent night after night following the galaxy’s progress across the sky using highly-specialised equipment to capture the final image. “It’s one of the rare situations where an amateur’s photo can be just as valuable as a professional’s,” he said.
The winning entries and a selection of shortlisted images, including Gribbin’s Sunflower Galaxy photograph, are on public display outside DIAS’s headquarters on Burlington Road in Dublin.
