At the edge of the redwood forest, the metal buck stood vigilant in the night. Venus hung in the west over the tops of redwood trees. Metal sculpture by Daniel McCauley. Humboldt County, California. March 12, 2020.

As my brother Seth looks on, two SpaceX satellites pass the point of greatest reflection from the sun during this 30-second exposure. For several minutes, each of the satellites blazed brightly as they passed that point. Photographed on April 17, 2020 at the Samoa Dunes in Humboldt County, California.

Each year at this time of day, the stars will be exactly as you see them here. Only the planets will be in new positions in the sky. Photographed at 4:55 a.m. on April 24, 2020 Humboldt County, California.

The Milky Way soars over Giant redwood trees across the meadow at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. Photographed on June 10, 2020, at about 12:30 a.m. in Humboldt County, California.

Illuminated by a waxing crescent moon, Cock Robin Island Bridge crosses the Eel River beneath the glorious night sky. The lights of Ferndale glow as a pot of gold at the end of the Milky Way’s arch, where the core of our galaxy rises above the horizon. The planet Jupiter is the brightest point in the sky, while its sister planet Saturn is the lesser point to Jupiter’s lower left. Out of view to the right is the mouth of the Eel River. Cock Robin Island Road, Ferndale, Humboldt County, California. June 26, 2020 at 11:30 p.m.

The International Space Station flies past as Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) hangs over the Eel River. July 18, 2020 in Humboldt County, California.

Starstruck couple watching the magic over Arcata, Humboldt County, California. July 14, 2020 at 10:17 p.m.

The lifeless ray lay on the shore with its tail still in the water. Above, the Milky Way, with Jupiter and Saturn, marked its passage in their night-long vigil.

A starry night over budding cannabis at Schackow Farms. The close focus on the plants allowed the stars of the Milky Way to blur into prismatic shapes. Nestled low among the buds at left, Saturn (above) and Jupiter, the two brightest white points, sink into the west. In the sky at center, a portion of the Milky Way rises like a mist over the horizon. Photographed at Schackow Farms, Humboldt County, California. October, 2020.

Happy New Year. The Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn was the day before this photograph was taken, but it was obscured by clouds. The next evening was beautiful, and Morrigan Crowl (Instagram: @morriganlynn) and I celebrated the event in the moonlight with this image up on Bear River Ridge Road. Jupiter and Saturn are just above the clouds on the horizon in front of her, almost touching each other. I could see that Saturn had finally overtaken and passed Jupiter and was now to Jupiter’s right. Humboldt County, California. December 22, 2020.