What just might happen seven years from tonight, a small asteroid making a new crater on the Moon. Of course the refined path may well rule this out between now and then, but for a couple years there can be a bit of suspense.

The Aurora of November 11 2025 from Joshua Tree, California at 34 degrees North.

This morning, September 19, 2025, The Moon rose with the brilliant planet Venus and the bright star Regulus close by. This grouping made a striking sight in the pre dawn skies of the high Desert as it loomed above the eastern horizon.

As night fell in the High Desert tonight an intense lightning storm lit up the Northeast horizon, just near enough to hear its sustained faint rumble from the nearly continuous lightning within.

The smoke tinted Full Moon rises behind the rocky hills of the High Desert. Tonight's Moonrise happens as we reflect on the passing of one of those who was there, Jim Lovell.

80 years ago the first nuclear explosion in occurred, at 5:29:21 Mountain War Time or 11:29:21 GMT. The first photo (colorized) shows the expanding 'fireball' at 0.006 sec, when it was then about 150 meters wide. The 2nd is a retouched color photo about 10 seconds into the event.

Once it cleared the smoky murky horizon, I had a good view of the Axiom-4 Crew Capsule re-entry early this morning from Joshua Tree, CA.

10 years ago today Pluto and Charon were revealed during the New Horizons flyby. It was my last pilgrimage to experience a Planetary encounter, where I met several others who also Had To Be There. Digital painting of closest approach based on returned data and my 3D NH model.

My digital portrayal of the Great Aurora of May 10-11, 2024. 3D rendering and much hand painting was done. Beyond the main aurora a dimmer crimson glow extended south with a brighter edge known as an 'SAR' or Stable Auroral Red arc. This is a portion of the high resolution work.

The amazing clouds of June 3, 2025 loomed over the High Desert dropping rain here and there, lightly at Joshua Tree but causing flooding in nearby 29 Palms. Distant thunder almost subliminally added to the ambience. It was exhilarating to be outside with a camera.

There are now four high altitude balloons in the Tucson area, all apparently launched from a small dirt runway at the fringes of a military area East of Huachuca city, AZ, at Fort Huachuca. This is part of military multi-national NATO exercise called, "Arcane Thunder 25."

As of 2 PM Pacific time the high altitude balloon was over central Arizona, drifting West in the Cottonwood Verde Village area. People in the general area should go out and have a look for it, it should appear as a tiny bright object in clear skies.

Tracing the flightradardotcom site's path of this balloon, it was launched from the nearby Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command and Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center. I have a report of a similar balloon from Arizona near the border. People should look up for these.

For the last two days this high altitude balloon has been seen over the 29 Palms/Salton Sea region. From my location, where I am nearly under it, it looks like a tiny bright soap bubble about 1/7 the apparent diameter of the Moon. Here is a photo I obtained through a telescope.

In the early morning of the 1433rd Martian Day, or 'Sol', of the Perseverance Rover it obtained this view of the surroundings and sky. The Martian moon Deimos shines in the dusty sky. I have tried to remove the camera related brightness variations across the visual field.

The Sunset of May 12, 2025 was an epic spectacle in the High Desert. A fortuitously long clear path of very filtered sunlight illuminated the undersides of a dynamically changing broken cloud ceiling with a vivid orange then deepening red light. It was very windy at that time.

https://t.co/zEUIzo0jKb

Almost 9 years ago I made this animation celebrating Lunar eclipses. Some day people may see these from on and near the Moon. A revision incorporating refinements in my knowledge of the subject is on my list. Ideally seen on a large screen in a dark room. https://t.co/ekih5zhKOZ

A digital painting suggesting what someone with a small telescope could see from the Moon during a Lunar Eclipse. The hidden Sun is steadily being refracted around the limb of Earth. A 'wraparound twilight' is visible elsewhere, interrupted by gaps from clouds blocking the glow.

It is Noon at the Blue Ghost site at Mare Crisium. Unfortunately they have released no scenery views from their cameras since this image showing a long lander shadow. They have been stingy with or not taken landscape views, but we'll presumably see Fridays eclipse lit scenery.