So, I had planned a day where I was just making creole gumbo. And then I made the mistake of opening my news app, and now…ya know, Jeezy creezy, why does the #GOP have to speedrun the death of all things?

#Cyanide bombs, or #M44, are mechanical devices previously used primarily for predator control. They are designed to eject sodium cyanide when triggered by an animal. The Biden administration banned them on public land after a kid and his dog triggered one, killing the dog instantly. The kid survived, but not without a lot of intervention.

See, the thing is, dogs can’t read. Frankly, I’m not many people can. A spring loaded trap that shoots out a radius of cyanide into the environment seems like a bad idea. A much worse idea than learning to live with coyotes. #Coyotes are just little dudes, ya know?

Apex predators are a necessary part of the cycle. The GOP on the other hand, I think we can live without.

https://gizmodo.com/trump-administration-quietly-green-lights-use-of-cyanide-bombs-on-public-lands-2000757003

Last night was surprisingly successful for #astrophotography. I shot five targets, and got good results for three of them. The fifth ... I'll add its data to my previous sessions later.

First up was the #Moon. At about 3/4 full, it is now a major issue for many targets, but makes for a great image itself, as the surface is mostly visible, but still has the sun hitting at an angle, so we get great shadows.

Second was the #TarantulaNebula , aka #C103 or #NGC2070 .

Next up was a bit of an experiment - #Orion 's Belt. This was a roughly 1 hour mosaic, and I am pretty pleased with how it has come out.

Last for the evening was the #BeehiveCluster or #M44. I don't often shoot clusters, but I thought this was in a good position. Sadly there is no nebulosity associated with it. Despite this, it has come up looking very pretty.

Here is a little collage of the evenings shots.

#astronomy #Astrodon #backyardAstronomy #southernhemisphere #Dwarf3 #Snapseed

#M44 / #Beehive Cluster from this morning. Approximately 610 light years away in the #constellation Cancer. First observed via #telescope by #Galileo in 1609

Shot on a Canon T6 mounted on a Skywatcher 72mm ED doublet refractor. Approximately 30 minutes of integration time @ 420mm FL / 800 ISO #astronomy #astrophotography