Russ McKinney

Christian,Husband,Father of five, Army Veteran, Civil Servant, Drone flying, star gazing guy working on a doctorate in Instructional design and technology.

[Russ McKinney @russmac]

Last night, I got my large telescope out and the Moon (last quarter phase) was amazing looking. This photo is a mosaic composed of 10 different photos of the Moon, all stitched together. Zoom in and check the details!!
@spann @amanduh_curran @JoshWeather @EricSnitilWx

[Russ McKinney @russmac]

@sofieteases @spann @amanduh_curran @JoshWeather Absolutely. Far more contrast with a waning or waxing moon! The shadows can really make those craters pop out.

[Russ McKinney @russmac]

The Moon over Pike Road this evening! It's a beautiful night and the Moon is in its waning gibbous phase. @spann @amanduh_curran @JoshWeather

[Russ McKinney @russmac]

Crazy lightning this evening just south of Montgomery. @spann @amanduh_curran

[Russ McKinney @russmac]

The Moon, in its first quarter phase, as seen from Pike Road. On this day 57 years ago, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed the Eagle on the Sea of Tranquility (marked in the second image). @amanduh_curran @JoshWeather @spann

[Russ McKinney @russmac]

Finally had enough of a break in the clouds to get a photo of the Moon! The Moon is in its waxing gibbous phase and we're just about a week from a full Moon. @JoshWeather @amanduh_curran @spann

[Russ McKinney @russmac]

Congratulations @amanduh_curran! We’re super proud of you and we know that you’re going to do great!!!!

[Russ McKinney @russmac]

The Moon over Pike Road. Taken 10:45PM on 5-2-26. It's nearly full (97.7% Illuminated). We're headed toward a new Moon in 2 weeks. @spann @JoshWeather @amanduh_curran

[Russ McKinney @russmac]

The Pleiades (M45) shine in the constellation Taurus. They’re 440 light years away and those bright blue stars are moving through clouds of cosmic dust, lighting the dust up -just like a car’s headlights illuminate fog. @spann @JoshWeather @amanduh_curran

[Russ McKinney @russmac]

Captured this morning: Comet C/2025 R3 (PANSTARRS).That long tail is an ion tail,stretching millions of miles across space.The comet is visible with binoculars before sunrise. In a few weeks, it'll shift to the evening sky, becoming visible just after sunset. @spann

[Russ McKinney @russmac]

Winter nebula season is over; galaxy season has begun! This is the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51), located about 23 million light-years away. The small companion galaxy is interacting with M51,causing star formation and stretching material between the two galaxies.
@spann @JoshWeather

[Russ McKinney @russmac]

We've got a beautiful waxing crescent phase Moon smiling down on us in Alabama this evening...
@spann @JoshWeather @amanduh_curran

[Russ McKinney @russmac]

This is a little late, but this is a timelapse of the lunar eclipse on March 3rd. This was taken with a small telescope that tracks the Moon automatically. As the Earth's shadow moves across the Moon, I boosted the camera's exposure to keep it visible. @spann @JoshWeather

[Russ McKinney @russmac]

Total Lunar Eclipse March 2026.
11 images combined to show the full progression of Earth’s shadow crossing the Moon with totality at the center.
That red color? It’s every sunrise and sunset on Earth bending through our atmosphere and lighting the Moon. @spann @JoshWeather

[Russ McKinney @russmac]

Tonight's Moon, as seen from Pike Road. It's in it's waxing gibbous phase. Get outside early Tuesday morning (around 4am-5:30am) and look to the west. You'll be able to catch a full lunar eclipse! Set your alarm to see the blood Moon! @spann @JoshWeather @amanduh_curran

[Russ McKinney @russmac]

Orion isn’t just three belt stars.
From left to right, you see:
🔥 Flame Nebula
🐎 Horsehead
🏃 Running Man
💥 The Orion Nebula (M42)
This is a stellar nursery 1,300+ lightyears away, where new suns are forming right now.
Zoom in and look!
@spann @JoshWeather @amanduh_curran

[Russ McKinney @russmac]

The Sun has been active in the past day. I shot these photos of the sun today. The large sunspot group is AR4366 and the entire Earth could easily fit inside those spots. Multiple solar flares have popped off from AR4366 in the past 12 hours. @spann @JoshWeather

[Russ McKinney @russmac]

Tonight's Moon is beautiful! Look carefully at this Moon this evening. The brightest object next to the Moon isn't a star. It's the planet Jupiter! If you've got some binoculars, look at Jupiter. You should be able to see Jupiter's Moons. @spann @JoshWeather @amanduh_curran

[Russ McKinney @russmac]

Last night was brutally cold,but also crystal clear. These conditions allow for some really great lunar photography sessions. This is last night’s Moon in a waxing gibbous phase. We’ll have a full Moon in just a few days, on February 1st. @spann @JoshWeather @amanduh_curran

[Russ McKinney @russmac]

The Moon over Pike Road, Alabama. It's in its waning gibbous phase this evening. Get outside and take a look! @spann @JoshWeather @amanduh_curran