EricTheCat 🇺🇸

Goal is to capture and share the beauty of the universe.

Astronomy, nature and weather photographer.

Fascinated by meteors.

Freedom loving patriot.

[EricTheCat 🇺🇸 @EricTheSpaceCat]

2025 Geminid meteor shower.
Meteors from the night of 12/13-12/14.
I captured a few. 🙂

[EricTheCat 🇺🇸 @EricTheSpaceCat]

@Guardians_Bane @YouTube Yeah, some of them were particularly large/close. When I get ones half the size I consider it a good catch.

[EricTheCat 🇺🇸 @EricTheSpaceCat]

Red Sprites 5/31/2026 - My best so far! https://t.co/XNQJzG9lcY via @YouTube

[EricTheCat 🇺🇸 @EricTheSpaceCat]

@Guardians_Bane @YouTube Thank you, Brian!

[EricTheCat 🇺🇸 @EricTheSpaceCat]

@DavidJDPhotos Great shots, I was clouded out for that one.
Just under 3 months until the Partial Lunar Eclipse 8/27-8/28. Only partial, but at 96.2% it should look very nice, similar to the 11/19/2021 partial lunar eclipse which was 97.6%.

[EricTheCat 🇺🇸 @EricTheSpaceCat]

@randymilanovic Heck yeah. You live and you learn.

[EricTheCat 🇺🇸 @EricTheSpaceCat]

14 years ago today, Venus solar transit.
At the time I was cursing the clouds only to find out the images with clouds became my favorite.
6/5/2012

[EricTheCat 🇺🇸 @EricTheSpaceCat]

@TheSkywatcher17 Thank you!

[EricTheCat 🇺🇸 @EricTheSpaceCat]

@JAtanackov I am blessed to live under the darker side of Bortle 4 if not 3. My south view is darker than my north view but much better than my old Bortle 5+ location.
10/10/2024 from my current place:

[EricTheCat 🇺🇸 @EricTheSpaceCat]

I watch for times when I can see stars over a storm.
I capture video and monitored the back of the camera to watch for sprites.
These were captured with 2 Sony A7s III cameras one with a 35mm f/1.4 lens and one with a 80mm f/1.4 lens using 1/24 sec exposures at f/1.4 and various ISO.
Then reviewed footage manually.

[EricTheCat 🇺🇸 @EricTheSpaceCat]

A couple more red sprites from last night.
Through 35mm lens on the left, 80mm lens on the right.

[EricTheCat 🇺🇸 @EricTheSpaceCat]

@Stormchaser_TS Good luck to you! Seeing some clouds encroaching from the west here but I'll see what it's like after dark. Otherwise conditions look great.

[EricTheCat 🇺🇸 @EricTheSpaceCat]

A couple more red sprites from Sunday night.
Captured from southern Minnesota watching above a storm over NW Iowa.
I believe these are column sprites. Red explanation marks in the sky.

[EricTheCat 🇺🇸 @EricTheSpaceCat]

@randymilanovic Thanks!

[EricTheCat 🇺🇸 @EricTheSpaceCat]

An incredible red sprite from last night. Captured from southern Minnesota looking above the storm in the area of NW Iowa.
I had 2 cameras running. One with a longer lens to get detail. I sure wish I had that camera pointed a little bit higher up for this one.

[EricTheCat 🇺🇸 @EricTheSpaceCat]

@Guardians_Bane I like to view the storm prediction center's convective outlook maps. Especially the hail prediction. There is a strong correlation with hail and lightning.
Also future radar can help. I like https://t.co/pytJEOViKd
Also have to factor where the sky is clear.

[EricTheCat 🇺🇸 @EricTheSpaceCat]

@theauroraguy Thank you!

[EricTheCat 🇺🇸 @EricTheSpaceCat]

@TheSkywatcher17 Thank you!

[EricTheCat 🇺🇸 @EricTheSpaceCat]

@Guardians_Bane Thanks again, again! 🙂

[EricTheCat 🇺🇸 @EricTheSpaceCat]

Slow motion lightning from tonight.
Southern Minnesota.
960 FPS

[EricTheCat 🇺🇸 @EricTheSpaceCat]

@Guardians_Bane Thanks again!

[EricTheCat 🇺🇸 @EricTheSpaceCat]

@Guardians_Bane Thank you very much!

[EricTheCat 🇺🇸 @EricTheSpaceCat]

@Guardians_Bane Thanks! I watch for times when I can see stars above a storm.
Then I shoot a little above the storm depending how far away it is. With a storm 100 miles away I tend to get them somewhere around 20-30 degrees above the horizon.

[EricTheCat 🇺🇸 @EricTheSpaceCat]

@JAtanackov Thanks! I agree. Jellyfish sprites are unusual in my experience as well.