Michael Frasca

@asimovssfmag.bsky.social #FavoriteStories Nov/Dec 2026 #Asimovs #Fantasy #SF It’s getting nigh bout turkey time, but I’m sure there will be no turkeys in this issue of Asimov’s Science Fiction. Follow along as I post short reviews of my favorite stories in the September/October 2026 issue.

I enjoy taking photos of the sky objects and then reading about them afterwards. For instance, this galaxy in Sculptor is interesting, but its discoverer, Caroline Herschel, even more so. She was a note-taker for her astronomer brother. Then he gave her one of his old telescopes to play around with.

#Criterion Crawl Manila In the Claws of Light (d. Lino Brocka 1975 Spine #926) A young man leaves his fishing village to search for his girl friend who left for Manila several months before and has since disappeared Pairs well with the film The Harder They Come.

Dinner tonight: miso-encrusted salmon with teriyaki drizzle, sugar snap peas, and UFO™ yakisoba noodles.

What's the worst that can happen? [clears throat & unfurls list]

Backyard #Astrophotography Last night's full #moon. The full moon DOES NOT cause humans to: - act crazy - sprout hair, claws and fangs The full moon DOES affect the behavior of: - spawning California grunion - spawning corals - Tom Petty

A sun dog over Centennial High School in Champaign, IL after today's CU Sings! concert.

All of you fascists bound to lose I said, all of you fascists bound to lose Yes sir, all of you fascists bound to lose You’re bound to lose! You fascists Bound to lose! --Woody Guthrie

It's Sunday and that means Pizza and a movie night! Pizza: Heggie's Six Pack Pizza Movie: MST3K's riffing of mac and me (S12 E:1) "They shaved Alf!"

I tried to go to Ardor’s new bodega and that didn’t work out and things just got worse as I had this week’s Sunday Steering Wheel Meal from the Wonderdog here in Peoria. tinyurl.com/sa92eew8 #Peoria #SundaySteeringWheelMeal

#Criterion Crawl - Midnight Cowboy (d. J. Schlesinger 1969 Spine #925) Last time I saw this film was 50 years ago. It holds up well; a story about loneliness, dreams, and companionship. Wonderful cinematography by Adam Holender that really captures New York of the 1960's.

I sat at my first spot an hour and didn't see anything. I've been at my second spot 1.5 hours and have seen one tiny grey squirrel that I let pass. I shouldn't be too surprised. East winds make for odd days in the woods. But it's so nice out here I'm going to stay longer.😊

Happy Scorpio season 🦂♏️

Agree. Watched this on the Criterion Channel several years ago. An intense, but good watch. You'll be thinking about it for days afterwards.

Backyard #Astrophotography "Gibbous has its origins in the Latin noun gibbus, meaning “hump.” It was adopted into Middle English to describe rounded, convex things. The term is most often used to describe the moon: a gibbous moon is one that is between half full and full." --Merriam-Webster

Backyard #Astrophotography NGC 253 in Sculptor is a bright galaxy that is about 11 million light years away from us. It was discovered by Caroline Herschel in 1783. She was the first professional woman astronomer receiving £50/year. Herschel discovered many comets, nebulae and galaxies in her life.

Ceci n'est pas une humanitaire.

In today's world of A.I. creating falsehoods, Magritte's painting is especially meaningful. The treachery of images indeed!

🌌 The sky is still bleeding blue when you bend to the eyepiece. ✨🔭 Red light at your feet. The Big Dipper overhead. Five of its stars are a family that has travelled together since long before us. You look past all of them, into the dark. You don’t say a word. #NightSky #StarParty #telescope

As reported in the Washington Sun today, Senator Dick Durbin wouldn't refuse to consider anybody Trump nominates to SCOTUS à la Merrick Garland. He also is against expanding SCOTUS, Thank god he is retiring.

"There's no harm in trying" really depends on what you're trying. Either way, give it a go. It's probably fine.

"The other day, I was at the gas pump. I hate going to the gas pump, because the numbers there are so high, which I know is a deliberate distraction from the real problems Americans face: the hazardous, dangerous trees on East Potomac Golf Links. No one is safe from those trees."

Backyard #Astrophotography The Fish Head Nebula (IC 1795) is an emission nebula in Cassiopeia. It is a most elusive fish! And it went wherever I did go. Ooooh, fishy, fishy, fishy fish! A-fish, a-fish, a-fish, a-fishy, ooooh. Ooooh, fishy, fishy, fishy fish! That went wherever I did go.

Ginseng Sullivan.

Backyard #Astrophotography Luna is getting a bit too bright for galaxies tonite. When I get a little lonely in the middle of the night And I need you Luna to make things all right Turn on your light Let it shine on me Turn on your moonlight Let it shine on me Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine

Before listening to this clip I gave my wife 100 to 1 odds that he was attacking a woman. She refuse to take the bet.

Backyard #Astrophotography A few nights ago, I imaged four of the globular clusters in the fall sky: M2, M15, M56 and M71. They may all look the same, but they have much different histories and characteristics. Check out the alt text for details.

Follow your heart. It's in a cooler in the back of that van up ahead. Step on it. They're getting away.

Thanks to Nic Kleinhans @thebignic.bsky.social for noting that my Oct 9, 2026 photo snowed the supernova discovered on Sept 1. Here is an enlargement showing the supernova located at 12 o'clock just above the bright galactic center. Compare it to this pre-nova photo from the Mount Lemmon SkyCenter.

SERGIO!

Backyard #Astrophotography NGC7331 is a spiral galaxy in Pegasus located 43 million light years away from us. If you look closely, you can see several other smaller galaxies near it that are actually in the far background 300 million light years away.

> Go to your camera roll and search "boat" and then post a picture of a boat you like. On Lake Kawaguchi near Fuji-san.

Pizza and a movie night! Pizza: DiGiorno's Rising Crust Three Meat pizza Movie: #MST3K riffing At the Earth's Core (S11 E14) "At the Earth's core, no one can hear you scream."

"When completed, it will be open to the Public..." It will be open to the public In the same sense that Pebble Beach is open to the public, as long as the "public" can afford the $675 greens fees. The greens fees now are $42. #ETTD

For this week’s Sunday Steering Wheel Meal, I went to Jersey Mike’s in Sheridan Village and tried out the Mike’s Hot Italian Submarine Sandwich. tinyurl.com/mry52bca #MBIP #Peoria #SundaySteeringWheelMeal.

Backyard #Astrophotography NGC6823 is a small open cluster of stars in Vulpecula embedded in the red emission nebula NGC6820. The nebula is faint because the light pressure from the hot stars of the cluster is gradually blowing away the surrounding gas leaving behind the dark dust pillar.

A fish swims at the edge of Cassiopeia, 7,000 light-years out, lit by one blue O-star in a cluster only a few million years old. 🔭 This is the Fishhead Nebula (IC1795). #astrophotography

I like this one for admitting that "magic" is tied to science in history, and that demonizing witches is the same force that demonizes scientists and experts today.

Been out for a year or so, but just got it. Johnny Mains did a great job. @johnnymains.co.uk