Stellar astrophotography to go on display in Dublin

Breathtaking images of the night sky taken by a Dublin photographer are to feature at Ireland’s biggest art fair.

Tom O’Donoghue, 50, delved into the world of astrophotography when he was made redundant in 2008, and now captures high-resolution images of far-flung galaxies.

His work will appear for the first time alongside the biggest Irish and international artists at the Art Source event in Dublin next weekend.

The astrophotographer, originally from Tuam, Co Galway, but now living in Malahide, north Dublin, has travelled the world to capture solar eclipses, galaxies and nebulae – vast clouds of dust and gas.

But he often drives to the south and west of Ireland, away from the light pollution of urban areas, to snap astronomical wonders in pure darkness.

Mr O’Donoghue said: “I spent three years living on top of a mountain in Spain and photographing the Aurora Borealis, eclipses, galaxies, nebulae and nightscapes.

“The highlight of my career so far is capturing two total solar eclipses. The effort to get into the shadow area only 150km wide at that one time a year, with clear skies, and then to see the universe in 3D as the Moon moves in front of the sun, is the best thing you will ever see.

“There’s nothing quite as calming and relaxing at looking up at the night sky and all its twinkling wonders.”

Mr O’Donoghue, who works as a tech contractor by day with Lam Research, has had an interest in astronomy since the age of 16, and began Tom’s Astro Prints (www.astrophotography.ie), an online enterprise selling his work, in 2008.

He says one of his crowning images is a spectacular Orion Mega Mosaic, featuring the Sword of Orion, the Three Belt stars and the triple Flame, Horsehead and Orion Nebula.

In 2015, it was a joint runner-up in the Stars and Nebulae category of the Astrophotographer of the Year competition run by the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London.

One of the furthest images his telescopes managed to capture is the M51 Whirlpool Galaxy, an estimated 30 million light years away.

His work will be on display at Dublin’s RDS venue.

Art Source features a huge selection of “affordable art” as well as a “wide range of pieces from some of the biggest names in the sector”.

“Over the past number of years we have seen that the Irish public have shown an enormous appetite for art, and Art Source has become a major destination for buyers who are interested in art from some of the world’s most recognisable artists,” said show organiser Patrick O’Sullivan.

“As a reflection of that demand, this will be the biggest Art Source to date.

“The reason the fair is growing so much is that Irish people are interested in art and culture at heart, and many people make a point of returning to the fair annually.”

Art Source opens on Friday and runs until Sunday evening.

For more information and tickets visit artsource.ie.