Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

James Petruzzi

@hawaiianimages.bsky.social

13K followers 830 following 12K posts

Haleakala Observatory/NASA T4 Laser Ranging Project (skeets/opinions mine) Photographer/Astrophotographer, birder, conservationist, SCUBA diver, Zen philosopher-idiot. Shoots a big laser at satellites for a living. : ) https://www.myhawaiianimages.com

www.myhawaiianimages.com

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

James Petruzzi @hawaiianimages.bsky.social · Sep 2

As promised, here's a quick portfolio post for all the new people. I do satellite laser ranging for a living now, but have spent years as a photographer, mostly birds, space, underwater, and other stuff as it presents. Here are 4 of my best. :) 🐙🦉📷🌿🧪🔭 Prints and stuff at www.myhawaiianimages.com

An Ae'o (Hawaiian stilt), a small graceful wading bird with black back and wings and a white body, red legs. She is hunting the shallows of Kealia NWR with a rainbow reflected in the water in upper left.

The Horsehead Nebula in Orion, a field of hydrogen glowing red with a horsehead-shaped cloud of dust in the foreground. At lower left is a bright star lighting up the dust blue. About 6 hours of integration time with my 10" Ritchey–Chrétien scope

An Ornate octopus (also called a night octopus), an endemic Hawaiian cephalopod, showing a reddish body with white spots, and flaring out its arms. Night dive, Ulua Beach Maui.

Lava entering the ocean, with clouds of steam and dripping water. Kamokuna ocean entry, Big Island Hawaii, August 2016

22 110 680

Reposted by James Petruzzi

Robert “The Bobby Yaga” McNees @mcnees.bsky.social · 21m

Anyway, our night sky is mostly dark, at least for now. But it's blazing in the poetic sense, if not the catastrophic one, and we should enjoy it while we can, so share some of your favorite photos on the night sky in the replies. (21/21)

Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 7h

Regarding capitalism, the Milky Way's neighbor Andromeda offered the following comment: BITCH, PLEASE

2/3

Andromeda. Saturation way turned down. Easy to see two of the satellites -- the bigger bright spots.

1 2 11

James Petruzzi @hawaiianimages.bsky.social · 10m

Sure thing, here's the Pelican Nebula, taken thru a dual-band Ha/O[III} filter and my 10" RC, with a bonus Herbig-haro object at nearly exact center of frame. #Astronomy #Astrophotography

The Pelican Nebula, with blue assigned to ionized oxygen and red assigned to hydrogen. Numerous tendrils of dark gas wend their way across and there are stars shining around and through the neubla

1 2

James Petruzzi @hawaiianimages.bsky.social · 40m

I am 100% behind whatever that particular eldritch horror has in mind. Great hat, you're right. :)

Reposted by James Petruzzi

Robert “The Bobby Yaga” McNees @mcnees.bsky.social · 1h

“Why is the night sky dark, if we live in an infinite universe?”

Kepler, Halley, and Cheseaux all pondered this apparent paradox, but the question is commonly attributed to Heinrich Olbers, who was born #OTD in 1758. 🧪 🔭

Images: hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Astro/..., Wellcome Collection

A diagram shows arrows radiating from a central point, indicating directions, with lots of white disks (stars) surrounding the central point.

An etching of Hans Olbers. He wears a heavy coat, vest, and high collared white shirt. His wispy hair is receding.

3 19 85

James Petruzzi @hawaiianimages.bsky.social · 2h

Another difference from mainland cousins, no opioids produced, tho plenty of alkaloids. :)

James Petruzzi @hawaiianimages.bsky.social · 2h

Right but most spiky families that evolved/adapted here lost their defenses because there weren't any herbivores (except geese which do berries) until people and cattle got here. NOW those thorns and the poison sap serve it well tho.

James Petruzzi @hawaiianimages.bsky.social · 2h

Also, I took this image, edited and cropped this image, and I only just noticed that the petal on the left isn't attached to anything, just came off and got stuck on some of the needle thorns LOL

James Petruzzi @hawaiianimages.bsky.social · 3h

Shoutout to @drivebymuses.bsky.social for the idea to go hiking up there. :)

James Petruzzi @hawaiianimages.bsky.social · 3h

Another find in Kīpuka Pu‘u Huluhulu Native Tree Sanctuary, this is a native Hawaiian poppy, Pua Kala (Argemone glauca -Var. decipiens), which is unusual for a Hawaiian endemic in that it is SPIKY. Now-extinct geese may have been responsible, I'll look into it. :) #plants #flowers #botany #hawaii

A native Hawaiian poppy, Pua Kala (Argemone glauca -Var. decipiens), a white, broad petaled flower (just now opening) atop stems with lots of thin, needle-like spikes and oval pods covered with same, against a blurred brown background

4 9 53

James Petruzzi @hawaiianimages.bsky.social · 5h

Looks like a bit of a light gradient from left to right, could use a background extraction/neutralization. Good data on the nebula!

James Petruzzi @hawaiianimages.bsky.social · 5h

I read that as "absolutely no intent whatsoever" and was like "Exactly what a meditation retreat should be!" #Zen

1 1

James Petruzzi @hawaiianimages.bsky.social · 5h

Wow, quite an #invertebrates image!

Soh Kam Yung @sohkamyung.bsky.social · 3d

My first pseudoscorpion observation was pure luck. Happen to see this wasp and took a shot. It was only later did I see what was hanging on the antenna.

On iNaturalist [ www.inaturalist.org/observations... ]

A brown pseudoscopion hanging on to the antenna of a wasp. The wasp is yellow with black stripes and transparent wings.

2 16

James Petruzzi @hawaiianimages.bsky.social · 5h

No lies detected

James Petruzzi @hawaiianimages.bsky.social · 5h

Good to hear, I was last there about 30 years ago and deeply enjoyed myself.

1 5

James Petruzzi @hawaiianimages.bsky.social · 15h

Doubly long in a win-or-go-home situation, that's some serious stress

1 1

James Petruzzi @hawaiianimages.bsky.social · 16h

Oh, I had no preference in that particular game, but 15 innings is 15 innings so I had to throw that out there. :)

1 1

James Petruzzi @hawaiianimages.bsky.social · 16h

Same family, no idea what the distribution around the islands is tho

James Petruzzi @hawaiianimages.bsky.social · 16h

It's an effort to speed up games and preserve pitching staffs. I strongly disagree with it, always have and always will. At least they don't do it in the postseason.

James Petruzzi @hawaiianimages.bsky.social · 16h

Oh, hey, congrats! Coming up on our 3rd in Dec

1 1

James Petruzzi @hawaiianimages.bsky.social · 17h

Seattle Mariners going to ALCS

1 7

James Petruzzi @hawaiianimages.bsky.social · 17h

I will give him credit, the pitch clock and (for the most part) challenge reviews were good ideas. I will never EVER forgive him for ruining extra innings.

1 8

James Petruzzi @hawaiianimages.bsky.social · 17h

AND your prose style is superb. Knew I liked you. :)

James Petruzzi @hawaiianimages.bsky.social · 17h

Manfred. Rob Manfred is the guy you want. Some announcers literally call the ghost runner the "Manfred Man" (earth band not included)

3 14

James Petruzzi @hawaiianimages.bsky.social · 17h

Just remember the title, you can google it later. :)

1 1

James Petruzzi @hawaiianimages.bsky.social · 17h

Sorry 'bout that, nothing so grand. :)