Achill Diamonds
Achill Diamonds
On a crystal clear night facing Achill Island in the Northwest, the stars shimmer as the faintest glow of the outer edges of the Milky Way eke through.
Behind the Image
Winter is one of my favourite times to capture the stars. The nights are longer, the cold air helps create clearer skies and unique astronomical views like this can be captured. Although not as dramatic as the Milky Way core, the outer edges of the Milky Way begin to rise vertically towards the Northwest. I had intended to capture the Quadrantids meteor shower that was due to peak on this fortunate crystal clear night. However, the moon and its ever-rising brightness as the night progressed prevented pure darkness to allow for the best visibility. Instead, as I knew the Milky Way would rise nicely to the northwest, I chose to focus on this composition of one of Ireland’s famous islands; Achill.
