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Having a little snack before bed. I'm a little disturbed by the asymmetrical shape of these Little Debbie Swiss Rolls. Still tasty, though.

Two Little Debbie Swiss Rolls on a plate. They are each significantly wider on one end instead of a nice regular cylinder.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

I have, however, captured the Andromeda Galaxy.

The Andromeda Galaxy, looking fine, along with its two smaller satellite galaxies .

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Happy International Observe the Moon Night! #Moon #astronomy

Image of the 60.8% illuminated waxing gibbous Moon, captured with Seestar S30 Pro.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Staying up late for astronomy. M31 the Andromeda Galaxy. I've been waiting all summer for it to be in season. Captured with Seestar S30 Pro.

The Andromeda Galaxy, the nearest major spiral galaxy to our own, along with its two smaller satellite galaxies M32 and M110.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

My LEGO #StarTrek 60th Anniversary Bridge Set came yesterday!

The cover of the box containing the LEGO USS Enterprise NCC-1701 Bridge set, which also includes the transporter room. It has mini-figs of Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, Scotty, Sulu, Chekov, and Chapel, and lots of accessories such as tricorders and communicators.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

And here is a picture at the end of the partial phase, during the penumbral phase. 4/4

The full Moon, looking a little dimmer than usual. The Moon is past the partial eclipse but within the penumbra (the faint outer part of the Earth's shadow).

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

The app didn't save individual frames of the video (I think I missed a setting), but here is a screenshot from right around maximum (93%) eclipse. 3/

The Moon at maximum (93%) eclipse. Only a small sliver at the top of the Moon is brightly lit. The rest of it is a rusty red, the so-called "blood Moon" effect.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Timelapse of last night's #LunarEclipse, taken with my Seestar S30 Pro. It runs from about a half hour before maximum eclipse (when the Moon first cleared the trees) and ends at the end of the partial eclipse, while the Moon was still within the penumbra. 🧵1/

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

I just got back a few days ago from a quick trip to Boothbay Harbor, Maine with some family. It was my first real vacation since about 2015.

Me kayaking. My brother and nephew and I kayaked across the harbor to Burnt Island, where a very kind caretaker let us into the lighthouse even though it wasn't a day when they give tours.

Me standing in front of one of the Guardians of the Seeds Trolls at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. The enormous trolls are sculpted out of wood. This particular troll is called Søren. I have one foot in the air and both arms stretched out over my head in vague imitation of the troll's pose.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Came out of the pizza place earlier this evening to this giant end-to-end rainbow.

End-to-end rainbow over a parking lot with trees in the distance. The ground is wet and there is a bit of blue sky peeking out from the clouds. Part of a secondary rainbow is visible above the primary rainbow.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Fresh local apples, kids. Paula Reds are pretty much the first ones to come in, and I always look for them in the store this time of year. It's one of the signs that fall is coming.

A bag of apples that are red with patches of green. The bag says Champlain Orchards, Vermont, and identifies the apples as Ecologically Grown Vermont Apples, Paula Red.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

While I was waiting for the Milky Way to rise nice and high in the sky, I captured M27 (the Dumbbell Nebula) and M16 (the Eagle Nebula). #SeestarS30Pro 🔭

M27 the Dumbbell Nebula. It's a planetary nebula (nebulosity surrounding a white dwarf) in the constellation Vulpecula, at a distance of about 1360 light years. To me it looks like kind of like a disk, with the "dumbbell" part of it horizontal across the midsection. The top and bottom of the disk look greenish, and the dumbbell section looks mostly white with pink on the edges.

M16 the Eagle Nebula (also known as the Star Queen Nebula) in the constellation Serpens, about 7000 light years from Earth. There is a beautiful red/pink nebula in the center of the frame, and fainter pink nebulosity above and below the main part of it. The names "Eagle" and "Star Queen" refer to visual impressions of the dark silhouette near the center of the nebula.

The nebula contains several active star-forming gas and dust regions, including the famous "Pillars of Creation" imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

I finally had a clear night during peak Milky Way season within a few days of a new Moon to try for a capture of the Milky Way. 60-second exposures taken with the wide angle lens of #SeestarS30Pro and stitched into a mosaic. 🔭

The Milky Way stretching diagonally across the sky, above trees. It looks, well, like a milky band.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Not included in the Group Spock photo: one more TOS Spock that I keep on my desk at work, and Funko Spock death scene from TWOK because he cannot be separated from Kirk. Nothing against Kirk, but I wanted a picture of all Spocks.

Funko Spock and Kirk acting out Spock's death scene. They are in their monster maroons, kneeling, and separated by a transparent wall. Spock has a white oven mitt on his left hand, and is holding his right hand in a Vulcan salute pressed up against the wall. Kirk is pressing his own right hand against Spock's hand, but with that wall between they cannot touch.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

I finally took SNW Spock out of the packaging and decided to line up all (well, most) of my Spock figures for a photo. Totally normal behavior for a grown adult, right? #StarTrek #Spock

Assorted Spock figures, some with right hand held up in the Vulcan salute. Some of them have a phaser, communicator and/or tricorder.

Front row, smaller figures, all standing, (left to right):
Captain Spock from TWOK in non-removable monster maroons made of plastic; Mirror Spock with a goatee, a dagger, and a sash around his waste; my smallest and very first TOS Spock (bought when I was a kid, along with the other 6 bridge crew); Kelvin Spock; SNW Spock.

Middle row, medium size figures, all seated, left to right:
Movie era Spock in his black robe with Vulcan script down the the front; TOS Spock in standard duty uniform; TOS Spock in dress uniform; Captain Spock looking fine in cloth monster maroons.

Back row, mostly medium figures, most of them standing, unless otherwise noted, left to right:
TMP Spock in the pajama uniform; Spock from ST V in the landing party jumpsuit deal; Giant Spock in TOS uniform towering over everyone else; Spock from the One with the Whales in his white bathrobe outfit, with the headband covering his ears; TOS "Bendy" Spock; large plushie Spock, seated. Plushie Spock cannot perform the Vulcan salute because he has no fingers.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

It was smelling a bit skunky around my house a day or two ago and now I know why. I seem to have an entire skunk family in residence!

Looking out through a sliding glass door at 5 or 6 baby skunks in my yard, right up against the steps under the door. They are black and white and fluffy.

Mama Skunk and the babies frolicking on the lawn.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

I pre-ordered a #StarTrek #StrangeNewWorlds Spock in February 2025, and it finally arrived yesterday. The packaging identifies him as Lieutenant Commander, and he has two rank stripes on his sleeves. Does this mean we will see him promoted from in season 4? He was still a Lieutenant in season 3.

Action figure of Spock from Strange New Worlds, still in the packaging. His sleeves have two stripes, and is identified as Lieutenant Commander Spock. He has several accessories including phaser and tricorder.

The back of the package, identifying him as Lieutenant Commander Spock from Strange New Worlds. Text on the box says the following.

In 2259, Spock was a Lt. Commander serving as the science officer on the U.S.S. Enterprise under the command of Captain Christopher Pike. He was the first Vulcan-Human hybrid to survive into adulthood and was noted for his extraordinary intelligence and analytical abilities. He was an expert in computers and a frequent member of landing parties. At this point in his life, Spock struggled to maintain a balance between Vulcan logic and emotion. He experimented with romantic relationships, and was far more emotional than he would be later in his career.

Name: Spock
Rank: Lieutenant Commander
Year: 2259

Outfit: Spock wears the blue uniform worn on Constitution-class ships in the mid-23rd century. The rank insignia on his sleeves identify him as a Lieutenant Commander.

Equipment: Spock carries a Type-2 phaser pistol, a communicator, and a science tricorder.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Here's my picture of today's Sun, taken with #SeestarS30Pro at 1:03pm EDT. Mine looks a bit rotated compared with yours. Is that due to taking the picture at a different time of day, from a different latitude, or are the two different telescopes doing something different?

The Sun, with several very large sunspot groupings to the right of center.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Huge sunspots today. Seestar S30 Pro.

The Sun, looking orange through telescope with solar filter. It has several large sunspot groupings, and a couple of smaller ones.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

A couple of friends and I went to Lake Placid yesterday to ride the cliff side coaster, which is 1.4 miles long and is the longest one in North America, and go on a zipline tour, which also includes rappelling. It's a successful day if you are required to sign waivers for two different activities!

The cliffside coaster. It is built on an elevated track which was the old bobsled track. (I think the lower track next to it is the new bobsled track.) Visible on the coaster track is a blue car that looks kind of like a go-kart. They tow you up to the top in your kart, then you go around a turn and start down. There are arm levers to control your speed. I went full throttle the entire way down, and only braked when I got to the end of the run. Whee!

Me jumping off the end of plank that hangs over a cliff to rappel down. I am geared up with a harness and helmet, hanging onto the rope, legs out straight below me, like what we called a "pencil dive" jumping off the high diving board when we were kids. The object is to land on your feet and so you don't end up landing on your rear end. I stuck the landing.

Me rappelling down at the end of the zipline course. I'm all geared up in a helmet, harness, and gloves. For this one they had us walk off the platform backwards, which was kind of scarier than the one where we walked off a plank frontwards. They suggested letting go of the rope and spreading your arms and falling backward like a trust fall. Yeah, no. I held onto the rope. Once you are in the air it's fine.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Tonight's Moon, Seestar S30 Pro.

Waxing gibbous Moon, about 63% illuminated

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Venus and Jupiter (phone picture).

Two objects in the sky that look like bright stars, very close together above the trees against blue sky. They are the planets Jupiter and Venus. Jupiter is dimmer. Venus is brighter and to the upper right of Jupiter.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Whenever I see this, I'm obligated to share my home recreation of the green hand grasping the Enterprise.

An Eaglemoss model of the TOS Enterprise on a blue kitchen counter. My hand, colored green, grasps the saucer section.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Today's Sun, with a couple of decent size sunspots. #Seestar30Pro #Sunspots

The Sun, looking orange through a telescope solar filter. There is a large sunspot in the upper center, with a smaller one just to its upper left, and another medium sized sunspot in the lower center, pretty much directly below the largest one.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

Oh that's fantastic! Here's my first attempt. There will be many more.

The Enterprise (no bloody A, B, C or D) orbiting what looks like a Class M planet. There is TOS style episode title that says "Brain and Brain! What is Brain?"

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Here I am leading the faculty procession at the University of Vermont commencement on Saturday. I'm on the right, wearing a green hood, and with a very serious expression on my face. Hey, serving as a Faculty Marshal is a big responsibility! #UVM #Vermont

A double line of faculty all decked out in academic regalia walking up the sidewalk in the middle of the campus green. It was a beautiful spring day, and you can see trees with pink blossoms, and leaves that are that bright green color you only see this time of year. I was one of the two Faculty Marshals who lead the procession and am at the front of the line on the right. I took the job seriously and look positively grim.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Post a meme made by you. I coincidentally made the exact same meme as @tyranicus.net and originally posted it pretty much concurrently with Thad's version.

Kirk and Spock riding in Gillian Taylor's pickup truck in Star Trek IV: The One with the Whales. In pink text it says:

Roses are red
Violets are blue
I love Italian
And so do you

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

Here we are lining up outside the Library getting ready to lead the faculty procession. I'm on the right (green hood). When we entered the campus green, the University Herald announced the entrance of the faculty and emeriti "led by..." and I got a shout-out by name. It was really cool.

Two lines of faculty lining up outside the Library on a beautiful day. I'm at the front of one of the line on the right decked out in full academic regalia (mortar board, black gown, green hood). The other Faculty Marshal is at the front of the line on the left, wearing a red and black gown, blue hood, and a tam.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Today's Sun, taken with Seestar S30 Pro. Sunspots near 12:00, 4:00 and 5:00 (along the edge).

The Sun, looking orange through a solar filter, with a pair of sunspots near the top, a smaller one at about 4:00, and one near the very edge of the Sun at about 5:00

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

And the Moon, taken a couple of weeks ago.

The 45% illuminated Moon. Large mare are visible, and craters of all sizes.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

This was my very first image taken with my Seestar a few weeks ago, M51 the Whirlpool Galaxy.

M51, the Whirlpool Galaxy. It's a face-on spiral galaxy with a bright central core, with a smaller "whirlpool" at the end of one of the spiral arms, which is actually a small companion galaxy. You can make out dust lanes in between the spiral arms. M51 is about 31 million lightyears away.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

Bonus image from the same night, the M3 globular cluster.

A round cluster of stars. The stars are densely clustered in the center, where it's just a bright blob on the image. M3 is about 34,000 lightyears away and contains approximately 500,000 stars.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

A friend of mine requested M104 the Sombero Galaxy for Cinco de Mayo. We've had cloudy weather lately but it briefly cleared on Sunday so I went out and captured it for my friend. It's a small target for this little telescope, but I'm pleased with the result.

The Sombrero Galaxy, M104. There is a distinct horizontal line across the middle of it (the "brim" of the sombrero) and a central halo above and below the brim. M104 is about 31 million lightyears away and about 3/10 the size of the Milkyway Galaxy.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

I'm enjoying the heck out of my new Seestar S30 Pro telescope. My big 8" Dobsonian that I got in 2014 is a hassle to set up and frustrating to use. I never got good at finding targets smaller than the Moon or Sun (and it's not intended for photography). 🧵

Seestar S30 Pro telescope sitting on a folding chair for scale. It's on a small tripod, and is kind of space-agey looking (you might not know it's a telescope to look at it). The arm with the lenses is open. It retracts for storage.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

There was some weird merch in the '70s. I mean, there was the Spock Helmet.

Box with an image of a kid wearing a white helmet that says SPOCK in large block letters. The helmet has a visor, chin strap, and a flashing red light on top.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

Tonight's 45% illuminated Moon taken at dusk with Seestar S30 Pro.

45% illuminated Moon. You can see a lot of craters.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

First light with my new Seestar S30 Pro. M51 the Whirlpool Galaxy. Space joy. #astrophotography

The Whirlpool Galaxy, which is a grand-design spiral galaxy. It has a bright center with spiral arms around it, and another bright area at the end of the outermost spiral arm.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

One of my brothers requested a trend line, so I did a linear regression.

Scatter plot of date the crocuses are up and open from 2002 through 2026, with regression line. Just for the fun of it I used flowers for the markers on the scatter plot. The regression line shows a negative slope. The overall trend is for the crocuses to open earlier in more recent years.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

Here's how the date compares with previous years. The date that I record is when they are up with flowers fully open.

Chart recording the date I first saw the crocuses fully opened over the years. The dates are as follows.

April 13, 2002
April 16, 2003
April 18, 2004
April 2, 2006
April 21, 2007
April 4, 2010
April 10, 2011
April 14, 2013
April 22, 2014
April 19, 2015
April 2, 2016
April 13, 2017
April 21, 2018
April 13, 2019
April 4, 2020
March 25, 2021
March 24, 2022
April 1, 2023
March 29, 2024
April 6, 2025
April 9, 2026

Scatter plot illustrating the date the crocuses are up and open dating back to 2001. It's a little random but the overall trend seems to be to come up earlier in recent years.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

Crocuses are up! They were up but not open on Monday, got snowed on on Tuesday, and now that the snow has melted they are officially up and open. There are two little patches of them and I really should plant more this fall. My Dad helped me plant them in 2001. He and my Mom both died last year.

A patch of purple crocuses surrounded by dry grass and dead leaves. They are cheerful happy flowers.

A smaller patch of purple crocuses surrounded by twigs, acorns, and dried leaves.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

Current view from my office window. Springtime in Vermont.

View out my office window looking out across the campus green, covered in snow with snow coming down. Part of a residence hall is in the foreground, and the hospital is on the opposite side of the green.

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H. P. Read @readhpr.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

I'm going to keep the ice orbs on the porch until after the snow (otherwise they'll just get buried, and what fun is that), and move them later. There is no danger of them melting all over the porch.

Five colorful ice orbs lined up in a row on a crappy old table outside on my screen porch. They are roughly the size of cantaloupes and tinted in various colors from food coloring.

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