An island off Cork has launched a bid to become one of the world’s few officially-recognised dark sky sites - areas dedicated to stargazing.

Up to 50 events, featuring rocket launches and talks by astronauts, including legendary moonwalker Buzz Aldrin will take place in Cork during a two-month celebration of space exploration.

Two parts of Ireland have official designation as dark sky reserves and are being marketed to star-gazing tourists, writes Donal Hickey

Light pollution costs hundreds of thousands of euro each year, impacting environmental processes and affecting our health, an Irish physics expert claims.

Astronomy Ireland’s upcoming ‘Star-B-Q’ will combine star-gazing with a barbecue. Billed as ‘Ireland’s biggest telescope festival’, 500 people will view the dark skies over the country’s highest village, Roundwood, in Co Wicklow, this weekend.