The oldest astronomical observatory in Ireland, and one of the oldest working observatories in the world, Newgrange, provided the perfect setting for a photo of the dim glow of the aurora borealis, the Northern Lights, on November 9th, 2004.

The greenish auroral glow can be seen behind the ruins on the ancient Hill of Slane in this photo. The bright star close to the ruins left of centre is Vega.

While the Northern Lights display of November 9th was poor compared to others, it still made for some nice photographs. This is the statue of St. Patrick on the Hill of Slane, where the saint is said to have lit Ireland's first Paschal Fire in the fifth century.

The greenish aurora can be seen to the left of the church tower at Slane in this photo. The light on the right is that from a floodlight which illuminates the other side of the tower. The stars immediately to the left of the tower are those of the Plough (Ursa Major).