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Jim Craig

@jccstarguy.bsky.social
119 followers 75 following 341 posts

Astro-nerd, compulsive punster, skeptic (but not a cynic)

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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
The championship bout between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier that took place in the Philippines was known as “The Thrilla in Manila.” The UFC match that took place at the White House last Sunday should be known as “The Yawn on the Lawn.”
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
I saw that @aoc.bsky.social said that tRump wants his face in passports as his own mini Mount Rushmore. I think it’s more nefarious than that. With his face in them, the MAGAts are more likely to get passports that the SAVE act will require as ID.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
From the government's official "Eat Real Food" site, it looks more like a game of Cards Against Humanity.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
I recently acquired a new Askar 71F flat field refractor telescope. For the last two nights, the skies have been clear and calm which has allowed me to capture 10½ hours of data on IC 1848, the Soul Nebula.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
First light with a new Askar 71F flat field refractor. IC 1848, the Soul Nebula, in dual band HA/OIII, 5 hours and 24 minutes.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
Reprocessing some old data to see what I can get from it now that I've learned new techniques. This is Mars from October 8, 2020.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 02/12/2025
My phone just autocorrected Mar-A-Lago to Mar-A-Lego. Maybe it’s commenting on all the plastic surgery we see in the faces of the visitors.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
So if I tag @profanity.accountant, it will tell me how much I swear here? Interesting because I don't think I do it a lot.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 28/11/2025
@stellerarts.com I think I found your t-shirt.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
Can't stay up late to do astrophotography so I shot something easy and very visible. The full moon in November is called the Beaver Moon (beavers prepare for winter this time of year). More info in the alt text.
Full moon from November 5, 2025. Shot with a 125 mm Orion Maksutov telescope and a Canon T7 DSLR. Two sets of eight images each to capture both the north and south hemispheres. Stacked with Autostakkert. Stitched, resized and color corrected in Gimp.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 22/10/2025
I rented a house for 10 years. We weren’t allowed to hang pictures, paint anything but off-white or put any structures outside. It’s because we were there temporarily. Imagine if I’d torn down the garage to build a new game room. Watching what’s happening in DC, I can identify with my landlord.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 17/10/2025
Giving a talk at my astronomy club meeting this evening on planetary #astrophotography because I got an award for this picture. Wish me luck.🔭
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
@bot.astronomy.blue signup
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
I set up my astronomy gear to automatically capture images. For the first time, it worked the entire night without any snags. I hope to do the same tonight. IC 1805 - The Heart Nebula (dual band HA and OIII filter)
The Heart Nebula (IC 1805) shot with a dual band hydrogen alpha/oxygen III filter.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 08/10/2025
Great artist! Nice person!
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 05/10/2025
I hope @naztronomy.com had as clear a night as I did. It finally clouded up around 11:00 so I wrapped up my livestream. Here's a picture made from the video I shot.
Large picture of a waxing gibbous moon taken from the Apollo Observatory that belongs to Jim Craig of Planet of Mystery Productions. It was in celebration of International Observe the Moon Night 04Oct2025.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 04/10/2025
Tonight, Planet of Mystery will have its first ever live stream to celebrate International Observe the Moon Night.* It will run from 10:00 PM EDT (200 UT) until midnight (400 UT) or the moon goes behind the neighbors' trees. www.youtube.com/live/5IjxCl_... *Weather and operator ability permitting.
youtube.com
Observe the Moon Night 2025
YouTube video by Planet of Mystery
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
Had a second rare clear night that allowed me to get a total of 10 hours of light frames of M 27, the Dumbbell Nebula, in hydrogen alpha and oxygen III wavelengths (dual band filter). More info in the alt text.
M27
Planetary nebula in Vulpecula
10 hours of 3 minute light frames 
Scope: Celestron C8 XLT with 0.63x focal reducer
Camera: ZWO ASI294MC Pro
Processed in PixInsight
Shells of hydrogen and oxygen gas ejected from a dying star
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 09/09/2025
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 13/07/2025
The moon on July 12, 2025 @ 11:32 PM EDT.
The moon as seen through my 70 mm apochromatic refractor telescope.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 05/07/2025
Tagging @naztronomy.com again because I got some more data on the North America Nebula. Up to 8½ now and the extra subs have really helped with the signal to noise. Again, using your tutorial to do the processing (along with some help from the folks in the Charlotte Amateur Astronomers Club).
NGC 7000, the North America Nebula in hydrogen alpha and oxygen III wavelengths.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
If you don't understand why I made this, you might want to unfollow me.
In Spanish, it translates "Work Make You Free" which is how the saying "Arbeit Macht Frei" above the gate at Auschwitz translated.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
@naztronomy.com Wanted to tag you with this because it's my result after following your tutorial on processing dual band OSC images with scripts.
North America Nebula in hydrogen alpha and oxygen III light.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 22/05/2025
Today, I tried my best to stand by and be strong for a friend who had to put down her beloved cat. It was a deeply emotional experience. When AI can feel that and write knowledgably about that kind of experience, we can call it art. Until then, it's just digital plagiarism.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 06/05/2025
Tagging @heathermode.bsky.social who might find these amusing. At least Tim thought so.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 01/05/2025
Mars with M 44, the Beehive Cluster, April 28, 2025.
Bright Mars with M 44, the Beehive star cluster.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 20/04/2025
The grotesque orange thing was shot only to show no sign of the wound later. The rich pasty thing named his space capsules Dragon. Maybe there’s something to this Revelation thing after all.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 11/04/2025
Anyone who says that money can’t buy love has never paid the adoption fee at an animal shelter.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
Margaret Dumont: When I see Donald Trump, I get goosebumps!
Groucho Marx: Yeah, he makes my skin crawl, too!
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 25/03/2025
Maybe we should limit Pete Hegseth to this kind of phone.
Fisher Price Chatter Phone, a toy for toddlers.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 15/03/2025
A lot of folks are saying that they don’t want him to die because that will mean he escaped justice. At this point, I no longer care. I just want him gone.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 15/03/2025
A little timeline cleanse with some astrophotos from last night's eclipse. Taken with a stock Canon Rebel EOS T7 DSLR and a standard 55-200mm kit zoom lens.
Total lunar eclipse half second exposure.Total lunar eclipse one second exposure.
Total lunar eclipse two second exposure.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 01/03/2025
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 26/02/2025
Yes, there is some fraud and waste in federal spending and that should be addressed. But the way the current administration is handling it is a lot like curing a nosebleed by cutting off the patient's head.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
If your political philosophy is based on who it hurts rather than who it helps and on who it excludes rather than who it includes, your political philosophy is immoral and you surrender any right to call yourself a good person.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 15/02/2025
Picture of Elon Musk with his son's tiny hands near his face but implying that they're Donald Trump's tiny hands.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
I saw that if I mention @kat-astro-bot.bsky.social it will do astrometry on my image. Let’s see.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 04/02/2025
I can't let the season go by without getting an image of M42, the Great Orion Nebula. This year, I have a telescope with a wide enough field of view to get the Running Man Nebula with it.
M42, the Great Orion Nebula
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
I’m wondering if @larainenewman.bsky.social has seen “Saturday Night” and whether it brought back good memories or if it made her say, “That’s not at all what happened.”
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 10/01/2025
Wrapped up to stay warm on this winter evening. #catsofbluesky #purrito
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 01/01/2025
I know a lot of people see the new year as a chance to make a new beginning. Every day is a chance to make a new beginning and cause for celebration.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 23/12/2024
Christopher Walken outside Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs. Caption: Walken in a Weiner Wonderland. 

Yes, it’s a bad pun.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 23/12/2024
@harryshearer.bsky.social Happy birthday! I hope this year brings you health, happiness and all the good things (although I’m not optimistic).
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 14/12/2024
I need to gather a lot more images to stack but this is the first time I’ve shot the Andromeda galaxy and been fairly pleased with the results.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
I try to post different things on the various social media platforms I use. Otherwise, what’s the point of following me on more than one?
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 19/11/2024
Another astrophoto taken earlier this year. M 16, the Eagle Nebula, taken from my home facility, the Apollo Observatory (named after a beloved cat who wasn’t with us nearly long enough).
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 17/11/2024
First time posting an astrophoto here. The Eastern Veil Nebula.
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 15/11/2024
Hey, Blue Sky people! I’m just 57 away from 1000 subscribers on my astronomy themed YouTube channel. Can I make it to 1000 by the end of 2024? youtube.com/@planetofmys...
youtube.com
Planet of Mystery
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Jim Craig @jccstarguy.bsky.social · 15/11/2024
I suppose I should post something here. I’m not one of the people who recently left Xitter because I bailed on that dumpster fire as soon as Sissy SpaceX lit the match.
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