Paul Z
@hoosierskywatcher.bsky.social
Lifelong Hoosier. From LaPorte. IU Bloomington grad. Student Teacher, Navajo Nation, 1991. Indy resident for over 30 Years. Amateur Astronomer / Birder / Sierra Club member / CILTI volunteer / Hoosier Riverwatch volunteer. Turn Indiana Blue!!!
November 30, 2025 at 6:57 PM
I bought one mainly because, after decades of visual observing, my eyesight is getting too bad to make magnitude estimates for variable stars. Fainter objects were tougher to see as well. I love it! I hope to use it for variable star photometry soon as well.
November 30, 2025 at 6:44 PM
I bought one mainly because, after decades of visual observing, my eyesight is getting too bad to make magnitude estimates for variable stars. Fainter objects were tougher to see as well. I love it! I hope to use it for variable star photometry soon as well.
I'm not sure that that this received the media attention that it should have received last week. Though the data has only been gathered for "X / Twitter," I'm sure that Facebook and other social media platforms have also been flooded with fake accounts. I think Bluesky is largely immune so far.
November 28, 2025 at 4:53 AM
I'm not sure that that this received the media attention that it should have received last week. Though the data has only been gathered for "X / Twitter," I'm sure that Facebook and other social media platforms have also been flooded with fake accounts. I think Bluesky is largely immune so far.
Thanksgiving Day, 1991. 34 years ago. The clown on the left is me, and the beautiful girl with me is now my wife of 25 years. I was a student teacher in the Navajo Nation, while she was also teaching in the Tohono O' Odham Nation. We spent the day in Sedona, AZ with snow falling. #HoosierSky
November 27, 2025 at 7:56 AM
Thanksgiving Day, 1991. 34 years ago. The clown on the left is me, and the beautiful girl with me is now my wife of 25 years. I was a student teacher in the Navajo Nation, while she was also teaching in the Tohono O' Odham Nation. We spent the day in Sedona, AZ with snow falling. #HoosierSky
For some reason, I remembered tonight reading this short story as a teenager (in the early 1980's) and looked it up online. The author passed away in 2013. I remember that the story was both parts fascinating and horrifying. #ScienceFiction #AmazingStories
November 27, 2025 at 7:09 AM
For some reason, I remembered tonight reading this short story as a teenager (in the early 1980's) and looked it up online. The author passed away in 2013. I remember that the story was both parts fascinating and horrifying. #ScienceFiction #AmazingStories
This is the Winter Storm of November 26, 2025, seen from space. It looks like a hurricane! Indianapolis saw snow showers and flurries that didn't have much of an impact, but the high winds were a real issue here. Here's the satellite image at 2:21 PM EST on Wed. Nov. 26. #WinterWeather #HoosierSky
November 27, 2025 at 6:51 AM
This is the Winter Storm of November 26, 2025, seen from space. It looks like a hurricane! Indianapolis saw snow showers and flurries that didn't have much of an impact, but the high winds were a real issue here. Here's the satellite image at 2:21 PM EST on Wed. Nov. 26. #WinterWeather #HoosierSky
Also this ... any other Natalie Goldberg fans out there? #NatalieGoldberg #Writing
November 22, 2025 at 7:23 AM
Also this ... any other Natalie Goldberg fans out there? #NatalieGoldberg #Writing
I'll just leave this here ... #AbolishICE
November 20, 2025 at 8:25 AM
I'll just leave this here ... #AbolishICE
These were the dates I visited each site and the data gathered. Note the E Coli bacteria at #2885 compared to #2360. For reference, safe drinking water is 100 CFU / 100 ml or less and safe bathing water is 200 CFU / 100 ml or less. Feather Run had 17x more "crap" in the water than #2360.
November 18, 2025 at 7:49 AM
These were the dates I visited each site and the data gathered. Note the E Coli bacteria at #2885 compared to #2360. For reference, safe drinking water is 100 CFU / 100 ml or less and safe bathing water is 200 CFU / 100 ml or less. Feather Run had 17x more "crap" in the water than #2360.
I'm concerned about the E Coli level in the small stream Feather Run in far southeast Indianapolis. This is Hoosier Riverwatch Site #2885, compared to four miles downstream at Little Buck Creek at Site #2360. See comments for details. #HoosierSky #Indianapolis #HoosierRiverwatch #Indiana
November 18, 2025 at 7:44 AM
I'm concerned about the E Coli level in the small stream Feather Run in far southeast Indianapolis. This is Hoosier Riverwatch Site #2885, compared to four miles downstream at Little Buck Creek at Site #2360. See comments for details. #HoosierSky #Indianapolis #HoosierRiverwatch #Indiana
We've had hard freezes and snow in the last 2 weeks. Also, streaks of mild weather. Our Forsythia Bush has dropped most of its leaves. But I saw several small blooms on it today (Nov. 17). It normally only has blooms in April. I've never seen this before. #ClimateChange #HoosierSky #Indiana
November 17, 2025 at 10:04 PM
We've had hard freezes and snow in the last 2 weeks. Also, streaks of mild weather. Our Forsythia Bush has dropped most of its leaves. But I saw several small blooms on it today (Nov. 17). It normally only has blooms in April. I've never seen this before. #ClimateChange #HoosierSky #Indiana
The Horsehead Nebula in Orion imaged tonight. 20-minute exposure edited in the SeeStar app and on my laptop. 12:52 AM EST Monday, November 17, 2025 (5:52 UT November 17). #SeeStarS50 #SeeStar #HoosierSky #Indiana #AmateurAstronomy #Astrophotography
November 17, 2025 at 7:22 AM
The Horsehead Nebula in Orion imaged tonight. 20-minute exposure edited in the SeeStar app and on my laptop. 12:52 AM EST Monday, November 17, 2025 (5:52 UT November 17). #SeeStarS50 #SeeStar #HoosierSky #Indiana #AmateurAstronomy #Astrophotography
The Great Nebula in Orion M-42 imaged tonight. 10-minute exposure. Edited in the SeeStar app and from my laptop. 11:37 PM EST Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025 (4:37 UT Nov. 17, 2025). #SeeStarS50 #SeeStar #HoosierSky #Indiana #AmateurAstronomy #Astrophotography
November 17, 2025 at 7:13 AM
The Great Nebula in Orion M-42 imaged tonight. 10-minute exposure. Edited in the SeeStar app and from my laptop. 11:37 PM EST Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025 (4:37 UT Nov. 17, 2025). #SeeStarS50 #SeeStar #HoosierSky #Indiana #AmateurAstronomy #Astrophotography
I've spent the last years trying to find stream testing sites downstream of factory farms in rural South-Central Indiana. What I've been finding is that far SE Indianapolis streams may have the most concerning levels of E Coli, even compared to rural streams. #HoosierRiverwatch #HoosierSky #Indiana
November 16, 2025 at 6:16 AM
I've spent the last years trying to find stream testing sites downstream of factory farms in rural South-Central Indiana. What I've been finding is that far SE Indianapolis streams may have the most concerning levels of E Coli, even compared to rural streams. #HoosierRiverwatch #HoosierSky #Indiana
Feather Run flows into Bunker Hill Creek then Little Buck Creek on the Indianapolis far SE side. Site #2885 lies about 4 miles upstream of Site #2360. Past tests have shown that Feather Run has at least 7x more E Coli than Little Buck Creek. Awaiting Saturday's results now. #HoosierRiverwatch
November 16, 2025 at 6:03 AM
Feather Run flows into Bunker Hill Creek then Little Buck Creek on the Indianapolis far SE side. Site #2885 lies about 4 miles upstream of Site #2360. Past tests have shown that Feather Run has at least 7x more E Coli than Little Buck Creek. Awaiting Saturday's results now. #HoosierRiverwatch
Feather Run stream in far SE Indianapolis, Indiana. Hoosier Riverwatch Site #2885. 2:20 PM Sat. Nov. 15, 2025. 5 days after our first accumulating snow of the season / first day spent at or below freezing. It was over 70F and windy and the stream was shallow with a very slow flow. #HoosierRiverwatch
November 16, 2025 at 5:40 AM
Feather Run stream in far SE Indianapolis, Indiana. Hoosier Riverwatch Site #2885. 2:20 PM Sat. Nov. 15, 2025. 5 days after our first accumulating snow of the season / first day spent at or below freezing. It was over 70F and windy and the stream was shallow with a very slow flow. #HoosierRiverwatch
There's something interesting going on. Feather Run (Site #2885) had about 1,400 CFU / 100 ml of E Coli bacteria on October 26. Little Buck Creek (Site # 2630, about 4 miles downstream) has only about 215 CFU / 100 ml E Coli bacteria. I'll pursue this. #HoosierSky #Indianapolis #HoosierRiverwatch
November 13, 2025 at 7:07 AM
There's something interesting going on. Feather Run (Site #2885) had about 1,400 CFU / 100 ml of E Coli bacteria on October 26. Little Buck Creek (Site # 2630, about 4 miles downstream) has only about 215 CFU / 100 ml E Coli bacteria. I'll pursue this. #HoosierSky #Indianapolis #HoosierRiverwatch
Lots of high clouds here in Indy, so I'm not sure if I am seeing anything or just urban light pollution.
This was Tuesday evening on my way home, from a rural road in Shelby County, Indiana. It's a poor cell phone photo.
This was Tuesday evening on my way home, from a rural road in Shelby County, Indiana. It's a poor cell phone photo.
November 13, 2025 at 6:43 AM
Lots of high clouds here in Indy, so I'm not sure if I am seeing anything or just urban light pollution.
This was Tuesday evening on my way home, from a rural road in Shelby County, Indiana. It's a poor cell phone photo.
This was Tuesday evening on my way home, from a rural road in Shelby County, Indiana. It's a poor cell phone photo.
So the trolls are now flooding social media with that tired old fake talking point asking why Biden didn't release the Epstein Files. 🙄🙄🙄 #TrumpResign #EpsteinFiles
November 12, 2025 at 6:10 PM
So the trolls are now flooding social media with that tired old fake talking point asking why Biden didn't release the Epstein Files. 🙄🙄🙄 #TrumpResign #EpsteinFiles
Bad cell phone photo from rural Shelby County, Indiana.
November 12, 2025 at 5:33 AM
Bad cell phone photo from rural Shelby County, Indiana.
Good afternoon from southeast Indianapolis! Yesterday we had snow falling on a carpet of leaves on the ground. Today we have leaves falling on top of the snow. #HoosierSky #Indiana #FirstSnowfall
November 10, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Good afternoon from southeast Indianapolis! Yesterday we had snow falling on a carpet of leaves on the ground. Today we have leaves falling on top of the snow. #HoosierSky #Indiana #FirstSnowfall
There's something interesting / concerning going on here. Feather Run (small stream in suburban SE Marion County) has over 10X the amount of E Coli bacteria as the Fall Fork of Clifty Creek in Bartholomew County, which is downstream of numerous factory farms. #HoosierSky #HoosierRiverwatch #Indiana
November 6, 2025 at 7:41 AM
There's something interesting / concerning going on here. Feather Run (small stream in suburban SE Marion County) has over 10X the amount of E Coli bacteria as the Fall Fork of Clifty Creek in Bartholomew County, which is downstream of numerous factory farms. #HoosierSky #HoosierRiverwatch #Indiana