Went on a storm chase north from Tucson yesterday. A very big cell was moving directly toward Picacho Peak. Calculating our respective speeds, I figured I had enough time to intercept it when it crossed the peak/I-10 area. I was right and was in a perfect position, with a clear view of the peak and sun breaks lighting up the foreground.

By the time the storm moved into the frame, though, there was a wall of water between me and the peak. A minute after this shot, it hit me.

The original is wider and mostly gray blur. I cranked up some of the editing tools in Lightroom to make the bolts pop a bit more and cropped it way in just to have something to show for the day. Win some lose some. This is possibly the last monsoon-season chase opportunity of the season, but there is lightning here even in the winter sometimes.

#StormChasing #LandscapePhotography #Lightning #PicachoPeak

Rain Delay? Nope 🌧️ | 10 Observatories in 10 Weeks – Week 3

🌩️ Week 3 didn’t just test the schedule — it tried to wipe it off the map.

Instead of slowing down, we tripled up and hit Observatory 3,4 and 5 of the 10 Observatories in 10 Weeks challenge… during sideways rain, hail, and winds that could relocate a roof without permission.

This week featured:

Roll-off roof frames fighting for their lives
Hail bouncing off steel like popcorn in a microwave
Mud trying to claim my boots permanently
And zero chance of waiting for “better weather”

If you enjoy chaotic commitment, astronomy builds in hostile environments, or watching projects happen purely out of spite toward the sky — you're in the right place.

#ChallengeSeries #RollOffRoofObservatory #ObservatoryBuild #ExtremeWeather #BuildingInStorms #AstronomyProject #YouTubeChallenge #10Observatories10Weeks #ScienceVlog #ConstructionVlog #CreatorChallenge #Astrophotography #StormChasing #VlogSeries

https://youtu.be/nrT-PrB22CI

Continuing.

From the back yard, taken directly in the WordPress app. Time stamp of this entry is what I’m seeing at that moment.

Life is grand, especially when you choose it to be.

#StormChaser #stormchasing

Right above me the sky is spotless, but 100 miles to the east, near Tucson, there are huge thunderstorms. I can see the flashes clearly from here. So I've got two cameras set up shooting the sky for sprites. there are nice big silhouetted saguaro cactus in the foreground, so if I catch any it should be pretty cool.

If you're not sure what I'm talking about, do a search for "sprite lightning". These things are surreal and and it's hard to believe they actually exist until you see one.

#StormChasing #Lightning #Sprites #TLE

Finale.

It looks like this weekend is going to be the finale of Monsoon 2025. I am here for it!

#lightning #photography #stormchasing