Here’s a crop of Stephan’s Quintet taken from my yard with an 8” SCT. While these make up a visual cluster, the blue galaxy, NCG 7320, is closer to us at about 40 million ly from Earth. The other galaxies are gravitationally bound & are a whopping 300 million ly away. 🔭 #Astrophotography

Shot this the other night with a 135mm lens and OSC camera. Interesting focal length where you can combine multiple deep sky objects in one frame. Here is the Perseus Double Cluster (left) and the Heart & Soul nebulas (right). 47x300s subs. 🔭 #Astrophotography

Here’s a pupdate: Fred ate his entire piece of birthday salmon in one swallow.

Celebrating Fred’s 7th birthday. Happy birthday buddy. You are the best!

Here is a single 5 min sub from my latest project, NGC 7331 & Friends images on my 8” SCT. I’ve got 11 hrs of L and am waiting for a couple of moonless clear night to finish capturing RGB and Ha. Hopefully this week, the weather will cooperate. 🔭 #Astrophotography

My band Glowbox is playing 10/25 at Underbones in Somerville, MA. We are promoting our new album, Bland Ambition. If you are in the Boston area, come support local original music.

I’ll be the official guitar tech for the Sound Cove showcase matinee this Sunday. If you’re in the Boston area come support local original music. You can buy advanced tickets here: tickets.24hourmusic.com/eventperform...

Here’s the largest release from Glowbox: glowbox.bandcamp.com/album/bland-...

My band Glowbox is playing 10/25 at Underbones in Somerville, MA. We are promoting our new album, Bland Ambition. If you are in the Boston area, come support local original music.

WT Docket #25-217, Modernizing the Commission’s National Environmental Policy Act Rules will be terrible for the night sky. Please voice your concerns. They are accepting comments until tomorrow here: www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filings... 🔭 #Astronomy #Astrophotography

Here is my completed processing of SH2-114, The Flying Dragon Nebula in Cygnus. This is an extremely faint emission nebula I captured from my deck in Central, MA over 5 nights in Aug and Sept... about 24 hrs of data total.(see ALT text for capture details) 🔭 #Astrophotography

Here is 13 hrs of Ha data from my latest work-in-progress, “The Flying Dragon Nebula” in Cygnus. I did a quick process & removed the stars in PixInsight. Still need to capture RGB and maybe some SII but so far so good. Imaged from my yard with a Stellarvue SVX80 and 0.8 reducer. 🔭 #Astrophotography

To celebrate #InternationalDogDay, here’s a picture of my pup, Fred, “helping” me with my Astro imaging tonight.

Glowbox was rocking hard at the Midway on Saturday night. We’re promoting our new album “Bland Ambition” out in September.

My band Glow Box is playing a set this Saturday at the Midway Café in Jamaica Plain. If you are in the Boston area and like great live original music, come check us out. We go on around 9 or 10pm.

We took Fred and ourselves for a biking adventure on the Cape Cod Rail Trail this weekend. He did great and enjoyed sniffing sniffs from the comfort of the Tail Wagon pet trailer we rented with the bikes.

Here is a view near the center of the Milky Way in the southern sky I took with a 135mm camera lens at Stellafane in Springfield VT. It’s a smorgasbord of deep sky objects with M16, M17, M24, M25 & many others. This was about 2.75 hrs of data imaged with no filters. 🔭 #Astrophotography

Making a batch of Roy’s Hawaiian Martinis. You soak the sliced pineapple in booze and simple syrup for 5 days. Delicious.

I usually take my flats after the meridian flip. When do you take flats? 🔭 #Astrophotography

Had 2 glorious nights under the stars at Stellafane in Springfield, VT this weekend. #Astronomy 🔭

Had a great time playing Live Day at WFMO. A great lineup of bands and songwriters and a lot of awesome people. Special thanks to WFMO staff who made it all happen.

One of my bands, Glow Box, is playing on the Tufts college radio station, WFMO, today from 2:15-3pm for Live Day. Here’s a link to WFMO’s live broadcast. wmfo.org/non-tls/popo...

I was hoping to be more prolific during galaxy season but the weather has not cooperated. I did get an LRGB capture of NGC 3817 & NGC 3829 through my 8” SCT at f/10. I need more L data to bring out the tidal halo better but it’s a good start.🔭 #Astrophotography

#PorchFest2025 was fantastic and despite the weather, we had a great turnout.

Hoping the rain clears for our Porchfest 2025 appearance in Somerville today at 2pm. For the second year in a row we were picked to be Jack’s Abby Porchfest host and have a box of Jack’s Abby Porchfest swag to distribute.

Found this grey tree frog sunning itself on our deck railing this morning.

Made my #HandsOff protest sign for tomorrow’s event in Worcester, MA.

Behold! My pup, Fred, snoozing by the fire.

“The Witch Head Nebula” is a large reflection nebula about 900ly away in Orion that’s illuminated from the star Rigel (seen right). This was a filterless capture of 15 hrs, but only 10hrs were usable due to a constant stream of dimly lit satellites right across the witch’s jaw. 🔭 #Astrophotography

Two of my astro images are part of an exhibit at Fitchburg Art Museum, now until March 5th. My astro club is exhibiting a wonderful collection of stunning images called “Nebulas and Galaxies”. Mention “Aldrich” at the door and get in free. fitchburgartmuseum.org/community-ga... 🔭#Astrophotography

Fred playing in the snow. So much joy!

Here is the egress just after 10:41pm EST last night. It was really cool to watch Mars “set” and then “rise” over the surface of the Moon. 🔭

Just saw the Moon occult Mars. Now we wait for it to come out the other side. Took this with my iPhone through an ETX-125 and a 6mm eyepiece. 🔭

Fred says, “Happy New Year” and is sporting his new Lowell Observatory collar we got on our visit last month. Doesn’t he look more handsome with it on? 🔭

Here is my first pass at processing IC443 in Gemini. This was about 12 hrs of SHO data taken during 3/24. Wishing everyone clear skies and a happy new year! #Astrophotography 🔭

Here is a reprocess of M33 the “Triangulum Galaxy” in the constellation Triangulum and is about 2.73 million ly away. Captured with a WO Z126 doublet and OSC camera from my deck in the Bortle5 skies of Central MA, April 2022. @kat-astro-bot.bsky.social‬ #Astrophotography 🔭

i think about this a lot

NGC 7380 is an open cluster in Cepheus about 8kly away. Its massive central binary system illuminates the Wizard Nebula Sh2-142. - 21 hrs of SHO data for the nebula (10 min subs) - 3 hrs for the RGB stars. Captured with a WO Z126 doublet and ASI2600MM from my deck in November. 🔭 #Astrophotography

After several months of climbing up the steep slopes of the Jezero crater rim, Perseverance has reached the top! The afternoon sun provides a spectacular view on landscape which the rover will explore soon! 🔭 Full panorama: www.360cities.net/image/marsro... Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Simeon Schmauß

"I believe in EVIDENCE. I believe in observation, measurement, and reasoning, confirmed by INDEPENDENT observers. I'll believe anything, no matter how wild and ridiculous, if there is evidence for it.” #Quotes #RealEvidence -- Isaac Asimov

Visited the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, AZ last night and got to observe Saturn through the Clark 24” refractor. It was the best Earth-based view of Saturn I will ever see. What an amazing place to visit. 🔭

Looking forward to a different jam every day from 12/1-12/25.

To the leaders of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE): As stewards of our nation’s parks, we stand firmly against any attempt to undermine the mission of the National Park Service. (1/7)

We are visiting Sedona next week and just bought 2 tickets to the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff for their grand opening of the Marley Foundation Astronomy Discovery Center. #Astrophotography 🔭

Here is NGC 7293, aka the Helix Nebula, in Aquarius. At 650 ly from earth it is one of the largest and closest planetary nebula in the night sky. This is about 3.75 hrs of data taken while camping in Savoy, MA on 9/27/24 using an OSC astro-camera, no filters through my 8” SCT. #Astrophotography 🔭

Here is about 30 hrs of SHO data for M27, The Dumbell Nebula, with and without stars. As with all planetary nebulae, its central white dwarf is the collapsed core of a star which, after exhausting its hydrogen fuel, become a red giant and ejected its outer layers. #Astrophotography 🔭

The Monkey Head nebula or NGC 2174 is an emission nebula and is situated between Orion and Gemini about 1400 ly from our solar system. Can you see the monkey? Taken 11/22 from my deck using a OSC camera and a dual narrowband filter. #Astrophotography 🔭

Wow, incredible auroras last night in Alaska! Maia was out until 8 am this morning with guests enjoying this crazy show. If you’d like to book an aurora tour with Maia, check out my website for all the details: theauroraguy.com/pages/maias-...

My Fred is 6 years old today and living his best life ever. Happy birthday buddy. You are the best!