A nighttime photograph of Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral Cork taken by young Cork amateur photographer Cian O’Regan features on the 2020 Christmas card being sent by Bishop Paul and Mrs Susan Colton this year. Cian’s photographs have featured in The New York Times, RTE, BBC and The Irish Examiner.

Bishop Colton spotted Cian’s photo on Instagram and Cian kindly gave permission for the photo to be used.

In the photograph, taken in February 2017, the crescent moon sets over St Fin Barre’s Cathedral Cork.

Cian, who is a Science Communicator at the Blackrock Castle Observatory in Cork, and also a PhD student at Cork Institute of Technology, researching the usability of Augmented Reality (AR) devices on future human missions to the Moon/Mars, explains that

the ‘Earthshine’ phenomenon is also visible in this photograph. Earthshine occurs when sunlight reflects off the earth’s surface and illuminates the unlit portion of the moon’s surface.’

Bishop Colton, thanking Cian, said

Given that this is the 150th anniversary year of the consecration of St Fin Barre’s Cathedra; Cork this photograph attracted my. attention. That it draws our eye to something special in the night sky seemed also, to me, to be a wonderful link with those in the Christmas story who stared into the night sky and followed a star.

Cian’s work can be seen and purchased online HERE