After devastating earthquake in Myanmar, China filling vacuum left by USAID's absence YouTube video by PBS NewsHour

USAID cuts in action 😕

I just realized “busy like a bee” isn’t only an alliteration. It’s also an onomatopoeia. You’re “bzzzzy” like a bee 🤯🐝

Reddit Wrapped Let AI analyze your Reddit profile

reddit-wrapped.kadoa.com/dishitdash?s... Super clever and dumb (in a good way) web app for breaking down your Reddit account to stats and predictions

Is tofu just a type of MMA fought with the tips of one’s feet?

Tadpole nebula as seen from Alameda, California

A very generous person spent some time with me so I could learn how to process this image in a more professional manner. Included here is the version I showed him when asking for help. *It is the SAME data* just different approaches to processing.

February 17-18, 2025. The Owl Nebula (M 97) in Ursa Major. Alameda, California, USA, 600mm; Bortle 7.5 Sky, Evan Gomez-Shwartz

I had the fortune of good advice to add something called Dithering into my new process. It's where the tracking mount randomly moves the telescope by X number of pixels every few frames. This helps reduce noise even further when stacking long duration exposures -each frame is 180 seconds in this pic

The Hoursehead Nebula with false color and some star resynthesis

Original shot of the horsehead nebula. This version has next to zero processing (wow!) but lacks the artistic qualities of my newer images. Still though... This is a favorite image of mine.

One of the first images I ever took with my dedicated astro setup. At Timber Cove, California and required only about 20 minutes of exposure time to get this. I lost the original files so this is an attempt to reprocess a PNG similar to my other reprocessing projects. Including the "original" too

M51 (2025 version)

Side by side comparison of M51 processed in 2024 vs 2025

Continuing to revamp images acquired in 2024. This is 8 hours worth of exposure time from Alameda. M51 Galaxy and its galactic soup getting slurped up on top

The iris nebula is alameda edited in pixinsight

Comparison of the iris nebula processed in Siril vs. PixInSight

Revamping old data (from late last year). See the before and after in the side by side pic. Exact same shots but very different outcomes!

The Flaming Star Nebula from Alameda, CA

Trying a few new processes: Light pollution filter, wider FOV telescope, more precise image editing, but still sticking to majority open source software (including abandoning Photoshop for Gimp for the post processing!)

I hope people understand that the need to replace Pelosi/Schumer is not a sign of disrespect. If my best friend overstays his welcome then I want him to leave; it doesn’t mean that our years together as friends is devalued. These two (and MANY others) have simply overstayed their welcome

An adorable corgi laying with half his body on carpet and the other half(ish) on tile

When your butt is cold but your head is too warm (and you’re spoiled with toys)

You’re gonna think I’m lame but in an effort to avoid getting Amazon ads (I haven’t shopped on there in 4 years) I don’t click links from them. I know I know it’s dumb but I think it’s been working

I ended up just suuuuuper carefully dabbing the dust with a lens wipe. It was on the outer glass cover luckily. Hopefully it’s gone now

I mean still though even with the moon and a dust spot this is freaking crazy!

A certificate of appointment to the open government commission in the city of Alameda

Me and Zac Bowling being sworn in at city hall

I love my city and gladly took an oath to keep our government transparent and honest. Won’t be a hard job here, though 😁

A refractor telescope being illuminated to search for a dust spot somewhere in the imaging train

A photo of the illuminated dust spot

🧹😰

I think it’s on the sensor glass. Is a lens pen not a good idea on that?

A screenshot of the ASI air interface with a nebula in the middle and a huge black smudge of dust to the side

Sold some gear to buy room this smaller and wider scope. I’m super excited, but you can see from the screenshot that it’s space dust vs earth dust 💀 @mntyfrsh.bsky.social Any advice for cleaning lenses?

Photo is of the Flaming Star Nebula if you’re curious! You can see a little nebulosity there…

#AmericaFirst watch: it is not America First to take over another country. America First would be helping to rebuild Palestine to repair America’s morality in the world.

#AmericaFirst watch: shutting down USPS is not America First. I’m so glad it is reopening to accept components that American companies depend on

In 5 years this photo will be 2 decades old! And 5 years before that Good Charolette was popular! Glad we’re still doing what we love

Either the sombrero or needle galaxy.

Taken in Jenner
ZWO 533MC Astro camera
6” Newtonian scope
~20 minutes of exposure

I wonder if they’re taking pictures of us right now

Add Ayize Jama-Everett to your reading list this year for some great sci-fi

I’ve owned every Quest model since the first one and I hope the metaverse burns to the ground. I don’t need a virtual world I just want to play games sometimes and increase productivity occasionally.

Big tech is big ick.

Not only climate change but also city expansions. Light pollution affects people and other animals like birds which is why as our cities
grow it’s imperative to plan with light pollution mitigation in mind

The Rosette Nebula in Petaluma, CA

6” Newtonian telescope
DSLR Canon 5D mk II

Thank you! I’ll never fully grasp that these things exist all around us and have only been seen in the past century

My astrophotography setup as of 2024 built over 3 years one piece at a time.

6” reflector telescope, astronomy camera (basically a filterless sensor with active cooling), star tracker to combat the rotation of the earth, and a raspberry pi astronomy controller