When two things that bring joy and delight—space and cats—come together, the result is sure to impress. That’s exactly what astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy decided to do when he created a unique photo project featuring his cat Gregory “interacting” with planets, stars, and galaxies.
McCarthy is one of the most famous astrophotographers of our time. His work regularly goes viral on social media. But this time, he didn’t travel to the hot desert or the cold north, but stayed at home to create a series of photos with Gregory posing against a background of cosmic landscapes.
“I just gave him freedom of movement and waited patiently with my camera,” says McCarthy. The result is impressive images of a cat basking in the image of the Sun, “playing” with Saturn, and even “depicting” the Solar System. These photos became the basis for a calendar, the proceeds from which the photographer plans to donate to the animal shelter where he adopted Gregory.
Ideas for each frame came about in different ways: sometimes inspiration came from the cat’s behavior, sometimes from the astrophotographs themselves. McCarthy imagined how Gregory would react to various cosmic phenomena and adjusted the composition accordingly.
Gregory’s story is no less touching than the photos themselves. McCarthy lost his beloved cat in November 2023, leaving a deep void in his heart. A year later, he decided to just look at the cats at the local shelter. But meeting Gregory changed everything. The cat sat in the back of the cage, with the saddest eyes the photographer had ever seen. He was the oldest of them all, having spent more than three months at the shelter, while the other kittens had only been there for a few days.
“The shelter was in poor condition, so I decided that the calendar should not only bring joy to people, but also help them,” says McCarthy. His goal is to raise $10,000 to support this place, and he thinks it’s totally possible.
The calendar featuring Gregory is now available on the photographer’s website, and more of his work can be found on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and his official website. This project is not just a creative photo shoot, but an example of how art, science, and kindness can come together to create something truly special.
Earlier, we reported on the main “cats” in space.
According to PetaPixel
