Paul Z
@hoosierskywatcher.bsky.social
Lifelong Hoosier. From LaPorte. IU Bloomington grad. Student Teacher, Navajo Nation, 1991. Indy resident for over 30 Years. Amateur Astronomer / Birder / Sierra Club member / CILTI volunteer / Hoosier Riverwatch volunteer. Turn Indiana Blue!!!
These were the dates I visited each site and the data gathered. Note the E Coli bacteria at #2885 compared to #2360. For reference, safe drinking water is 100 CFU / 100 ml or less and safe bathing water is 200 CFU / 100 ml or less. Feather Run had 17x more "crap" in the water than #2360.
November 18, 2025 at 7:49 AM
These were the dates I visited each site and the data gathered. Note the E Coli bacteria at #2885 compared to #2360. For reference, safe drinking water is 100 CFU / 100 ml or less and safe bathing water is 200 CFU / 100 ml or less. Feather Run had 17x more "crap" in the water than #2360.
I'm concerned about the E Coli level in the small stream Feather Run in far southeast Indianapolis. This is Hoosier Riverwatch Site #2885, compared to four miles downstream at Little Buck Creek at Site #2360. See comments for details. #HoosierSky #Indianapolis #HoosierRiverwatch #Indiana
November 18, 2025 at 7:44 AM
I'm concerned about the E Coli level in the small stream Feather Run in far southeast Indianapolis. This is Hoosier Riverwatch Site #2885, compared to four miles downstream at Little Buck Creek at Site #2360. See comments for details. #HoosierSky #Indianapolis #HoosierRiverwatch #Indiana
We've had hard freezes and snow in the last 2 weeks. Also, streaks of mild weather. Our Forsythia Bush has dropped most of its leaves. But I saw several small blooms on it today (Nov. 17). It normally only has blooms in April. I've never seen this before. #ClimateChange #HoosierSky #Indiana
November 17, 2025 at 10:04 PM
We've had hard freezes and snow in the last 2 weeks. Also, streaks of mild weather. Our Forsythia Bush has dropped most of its leaves. But I saw several small blooms on it today (Nov. 17). It normally only has blooms in April. I've never seen this before. #ClimateChange #HoosierSky #Indiana
The Horsehead Nebula in Orion imaged tonight. 20-minute exposure edited in the SeeStar app and on my laptop. 12:52 AM EST Monday, November 17, 2025 (5:52 UT November 17). #SeeStarS50 #SeeStar #HoosierSky #Indiana #AmateurAstronomy #Astrophotography
November 17, 2025 at 7:22 AM
The Horsehead Nebula in Orion imaged tonight. 20-minute exposure edited in the SeeStar app and on my laptop. 12:52 AM EST Monday, November 17, 2025 (5:52 UT November 17). #SeeStarS50 #SeeStar #HoosierSky #Indiana #AmateurAstronomy #Astrophotography
The Great Nebula in Orion M-42 imaged tonight. 10-minute exposure. Edited in the SeeStar app and from my laptop. 11:37 PM EST Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025 (4:37 UT Nov. 17, 2025). #SeeStarS50 #SeeStar #HoosierSky #Indiana #AmateurAstronomy #Astrophotography
November 17, 2025 at 7:13 AM
The Great Nebula in Orion M-42 imaged tonight. 10-minute exposure. Edited in the SeeStar app and from my laptop. 11:37 PM EST Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025 (4:37 UT Nov. 17, 2025). #SeeStarS50 #SeeStar #HoosierSky #Indiana #AmateurAstronomy #Astrophotography
I've spent the last years trying to find stream testing sites downstream of factory farms in rural South-Central Indiana. What I've been finding is that far SE Indianapolis streams may have the most concerning levels of E Coli, even compared to rural streams. #HoosierRiverwatch #HoosierSky #Indiana
November 16, 2025 at 6:16 AM
I've spent the last years trying to find stream testing sites downstream of factory farms in rural South-Central Indiana. What I've been finding is that far SE Indianapolis streams may have the most concerning levels of E Coli, even compared to rural streams. #HoosierRiverwatch #HoosierSky #Indiana
Feather Run flows into Bunker Hill Creek then Little Buck Creek on the Indianapolis far SE side. Site #2885 lies about 4 miles upstream of Site #2360. Past tests have shown that Feather Run has at least 7x more E Coli than Little Buck Creek. Awaiting Saturday's results now. #HoosierRiverwatch
November 16, 2025 at 6:03 AM
Feather Run flows into Bunker Hill Creek then Little Buck Creek on the Indianapolis far SE side. Site #2885 lies about 4 miles upstream of Site #2360. Past tests have shown that Feather Run has at least 7x more E Coli than Little Buck Creek. Awaiting Saturday's results now. #HoosierRiverwatch
Feather Run stream in far SE Indianapolis, Indiana. Hoosier Riverwatch Site #2885. 2:20 PM Sat. Nov. 15, 2025. 5 days after our first accumulating snow of the season / first day spent at or below freezing. It was over 70F and windy and the stream was shallow with a very slow flow. #HoosierRiverwatch
November 16, 2025 at 5:40 AM
Feather Run stream in far SE Indianapolis, Indiana. Hoosier Riverwatch Site #2885. 2:20 PM Sat. Nov. 15, 2025. 5 days after our first accumulating snow of the season / first day spent at or below freezing. It was over 70F and windy and the stream was shallow with a very slow flow. #HoosierRiverwatch
There's something interesting going on. Feather Run (Site #2885) had about 1,400 CFU / 100 ml of E Coli bacteria on October 26. Little Buck Creek (Site # 2630, about 4 miles downstream) has only about 215 CFU / 100 ml E Coli bacteria. I'll pursue this. #HoosierSky #Indianapolis #HoosierRiverwatch
November 13, 2025 at 7:07 AM
There's something interesting going on. Feather Run (Site #2885) had about 1,400 CFU / 100 ml of E Coli bacteria on October 26. Little Buck Creek (Site # 2630, about 4 miles downstream) has only about 215 CFU / 100 ml E Coli bacteria. I'll pursue this. #HoosierSky #Indianapolis #HoosierRiverwatch
Lots of high clouds here in Indy, so I'm not sure if I am seeing anything or just urban light pollution.
This was Tuesday evening on my way home, from a rural road in Shelby County, Indiana. It's a poor cell phone photo.
This was Tuesday evening on my way home, from a rural road in Shelby County, Indiana. It's a poor cell phone photo.
November 13, 2025 at 6:43 AM
Lots of high clouds here in Indy, so I'm not sure if I am seeing anything or just urban light pollution.
This was Tuesday evening on my way home, from a rural road in Shelby County, Indiana. It's a poor cell phone photo.
This was Tuesday evening on my way home, from a rural road in Shelby County, Indiana. It's a poor cell phone photo.
So the trolls are now flooding social media with that tired old fake talking point asking why Biden didn't release the Epstein Files. 🙄🙄🙄 #TrumpResign #EpsteinFiles
November 12, 2025 at 6:10 PM
So the trolls are now flooding social media with that tired old fake talking point asking why Biden didn't release the Epstein Files. 🙄🙄🙄 #TrumpResign #EpsteinFiles
Bad cell phone photo from rural Shelby County, Indiana.
November 12, 2025 at 5:33 AM
Bad cell phone photo from rural Shelby County, Indiana.
Good afternoon from southeast Indianapolis! Yesterday we had snow falling on a carpet of leaves on the ground. Today we have leaves falling on top of the snow. #HoosierSky #Indiana #FirstSnowfall
November 10, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Good afternoon from southeast Indianapolis! Yesterday we had snow falling on a carpet of leaves on the ground. Today we have leaves falling on top of the snow. #HoosierSky #Indiana #FirstSnowfall
There's something interesting / concerning going on here. Feather Run (small stream in suburban SE Marion County) has over 10X the amount of E Coli bacteria as the Fall Fork of Clifty Creek in Bartholomew County, which is downstream of numerous factory farms. #HoosierSky #HoosierRiverwatch #Indiana
November 6, 2025 at 7:41 AM
There's something interesting / concerning going on here. Feather Run (small stream in suburban SE Marion County) has over 10X the amount of E Coli bacteria as the Fall Fork of Clifty Creek in Bartholomew County, which is downstream of numerous factory farms. #HoosierSky #HoosierRiverwatch #Indiana
My stream water collection site on Sunday afternoon, November 1, 2025. Just a hundred feet or so above the waterfall. My water thermometer and the string attached to it can be seen in the lower right of the photo. #HoosierRiverwatch #HoosierSky #Indiana #Environment
November 3, 2025 at 3:04 AM
My stream water collection site on Sunday afternoon, November 1, 2025. Just a hundred feet or so above the waterfall. My water thermometer and the string attached to it can be seen in the lower right of the photo. #HoosierRiverwatch #HoosierSky #Indiana #Environment
Great Blue Heron. Just downstream of Anderson Falls in Bartholomew County, IN. Sunday, November 1, 2025. #HoosierSky #HoosierRiverwatch #Indiana #Birding
November 3, 2025 at 2:52 AM
Great Blue Heron. Just downstream of Anderson Falls in Bartholomew County, IN. Sunday, November 1, 2025. #HoosierSky #HoosierRiverwatch #Indiana #Birding
Anderson Falls. Bartholomew County, Indiana. Sun. Nov. 1, 2025. Also Hoosier Riverwatch Site #2226 and I did some water testing there. My poor wife put up with me performing the Dissolved Oxygen test and pH measurements from the back seat of our car after we hiked. #HoosierRiverwatch #HoosierSky
November 3, 2025 at 2:49 AM
Anderson Falls. Bartholomew County, Indiana. Sun. Nov. 1, 2025. Also Hoosier Riverwatch Site #2226 and I did some water testing there. My poor wife put up with me performing the Dissolved Oxygen test and pH measurements from the back seat of our car after we hiked. #HoosierRiverwatch #HoosierSky
The results of the E Coli tests from Sunday are in, and Feather Run Creek in far SE Indianapolis had 1,400 CFU (Colony Forming Units) in its water. I've recorded over 5,000 CFU before. Bad but not as bad as some of the samples I've taken in the last 2 years. #HoosierRiverwatch #HoosierSky
October 30, 2025 at 5:05 AM
The results of the E Coli tests from Sunday are in, and Feather Run Creek in far SE Indianapolis had 1,400 CFU (Colony Forming Units) in its water. I've recorded over 5,000 CFU before. Bad but not as bad as some of the samples I've taken in the last 2 years. #HoosierRiverwatch #HoosierSky
I've been testing for Lead, Copper, Mercury, and Iron in Feather Run stream (southeast Marion County) for 2 years with no results, but during my last two samplings on September 27 and October 26, I'm finding small but detectable levels of Lead and Copper, which is concerning. #HoosierSky #Indiana
October 27, 2025 at 4:15 AM
I've been testing for Lead, Copper, Mercury, and Iron in Feather Run stream (southeast Marion County) for 2 years with no results, but during my last two samplings on September 27 and October 26, I'm finding small but detectable levels of Lead and Copper, which is concerning. #HoosierSky #Indiana
Two days after our first freeze of the season, I went to Feather Run (stream that runs through our neighborhood) to get some water samples for testing. There was a large dragonfly zipping around over the water that had survived the first short cold snap of autumn! #HoosierRiverwatch #Indiana
October 27, 2025 at 4:00 AM
Two days after our first freeze of the season, I went to Feather Run (stream that runs through our neighborhood) to get some water samples for testing. There was a large dragonfly zipping around over the water that had survived the first short cold snap of autumn! #HoosierRiverwatch #Indiana
This is the area I plan to scout out during the coming week. Leatherwood Creek in northern Johnson County, Indiana. Downstream from the factory hog farm. #HoosierRiverwatch #HoosierSky #Environment #WaterPollution
October 14, 2025 at 4:20 AM
This is the area I plan to scout out during the coming week. Leatherwood Creek in northern Johnson County, Indiana. Downstream from the factory hog farm. #HoosierRiverwatch #HoosierSky #Environment #WaterPollution
40 years ago today, when I was 19, I spotted Comet Halley in Taurus. This is my astronomy journal entry from that morning. I sketched it and the nearby stars. I also tried to estimate its magnitude. An estimate of U Orionis is also in the entry. #AmateurAstronomy #HoosierSky
October 13, 2025 at 7:03 PM
40 years ago today, when I was 19, I spotted Comet Halley in Taurus. This is my astronomy journal entry from that morning. I sketched it and the nearby stars. I also tried to estimate its magnitude. An estimate of U Orionis is also in the entry. #AmateurAstronomy #HoosierSky
I live in the SE corner of Indianapolis. This is a Factory (Hog) Farm in Johnson County just 3.3 miles SE of my home, and the waste from it has access to Leatherwood Creek. Hopefully I can contact landowners downstream who will let me do water testing. #HoosierRiverwatch #HoosierSky #Indiana
September 29, 2025 at 8:04 AM
I live in the SE corner of Indianapolis. This is a Factory (Hog) Farm in Johnson County just 3.3 miles SE of my home, and the waste from it has access to Leatherwood Creek. Hopefully I can contact landowners downstream who will let me do water testing. #HoosierRiverwatch #HoosierSky #Indiana