If there are two things people love, it’s adorable cats and awesome space photos. Therefore, it makes complete sense for astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy to combine his stunning work with his adopted cat, Gregory.
McCarthy is a well-known space photographer, regularly capturing jaw-dropping images that grace the pages of PetaPixel and go viral online. But instead of heading to his backyard astrophotograpy setup or venturing into the desert, McCarthy stayed indoors for his shoot with Gregory.
“Gregory was a fantastic model,” McCarthy tells PetaPixel. “I simply covered his cat tree with black fabric and let him decide what he wanted to do while I waited patiently with a camera.”
The resulting photos see Gregory basking under McCarthy’s photo of the Sun, toying with Saturn, and literally representing the solar system. The images have been compiled into a calendar, and McCarthy will share the proceeds with the rescue shelter from which he adopted Gregory.
“I had a bit of a brainstorm session for each photo,” he says. “Some were inspired by photos of Gregory, some were inspired by looking at my space photos and imagining how a cat would react to them, and taking photos of Gregory until one fit the need.”
McCarthy says he adopted Gregory after a “beloved cat” passed away in November 2023.
“It left a gaping hole in my heart,” McCarthy says. “In September of 2024, I went to an animal shelter, telling myself I was only there to ‘browse.’ The cat portion of the shelter was filled with kittens, playing and fighting for my attention. Then, in the back of his cage, I saw Gregory. He had the saddest eyes I’ve ever seen on a cat.”
“He was the oldest cat by far, and had been there over 3 months,” he continues. “While the rest of the cats had only been there for days or a week at the longest. The vet estimates him to be 4-5 years old. The shelter I got him from was in rough shape — so I’m donating a big chunk of the proceeds of my calendar I made with these photos back to the shelter.”
McCarthy recently announced on X that his goal was to donate $10,000 to the shelter, and he thinks he has a shot at reaching it.
To purchase a Gregory calendar, head to McCarthy’s website. More of his work can be found on his Instagram, X, Facebook, and website.
Image credits: All photos by Andrew McCarthy.
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