Day: May 13, 2016

Astronomy Picture of the Day – ISS and Mercury Too

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2016 May 13

ISS and Mercury Too
Image Credit & Copyright: Thierry Legault

 

Explanation: Transits of Mercury are relatively rare. Monday’s leisurely 7.5 hour long event was only the 2nd of 14 Mercury transits in the 21st century. If you’re willing to travel, transits of the International Space Station can be more frequent though, and much quicker. This sharp video frame composite was taken from a well-chosen location in Philadelphia, USA. It follows the space station, moving from upper right to lower left, as it crossed the Sun’s disk in 0.6 seconds. Mercury too is included as the small, round, almost stationary silhouette just below center. In apparent size, the International Space Station looms larger from low Earth orbit, about 450 kilometers from Philadelphia. Mercury was about 84 million kilometers away. (Editor’s note: The stunning video includes another double transit, Mercury and a Pilatus PC12 aircraft. Even quicker than the ISS to cross the Sun, the aircraft was about 1 kilometer away.)

Earth Sky News for May 13: Moon and constellation Leo, May 13-15

Moon and constellation Leo, May 13-15

Tonight – on Friday, May 13, 2016 – and for the next few evenings, as soon as darkness falls, look outside for the moon. On May 13, the moon is at or near its first quarter phase. The nearby point of light will be Regulus, brightest star in the constellation Leo the Lion.

Just don’t mistake a much-brighter point of light – the king planet Jupiter – for Regulus. Jupiter blazes to the east of the moon and Regulus, and the waxing gibbous moon will meet up with Jupiter on May 14.

If your sky is dark enough, you might see that Regulus marks the bottom of a backwards question mark pattern of stars. This pattern is known as The Sickle, and it outlines the Lion’s head and mane.Regulus, meanwhile, is often called the Lion’s Heart.

The name for Leo’s second brightest star, Denebola, comes from an Arabic term which translates tothe Lion’s Tail. Two other stars – Zosma and Chertan – form a noticeable triangle with Denebola to draw out the hindquarters and tail of Leo the Lion. (See the chart of Leo the Lion below.)

The glare of the moon might make it difficult to envision the celestial Lion this upcoming week. However, if you can locate the star Regulus, you can view the Lion in all his starlit majesty during the upcoming moon-free evenings in the last week week of May and the first week of June.

Are you familiar with the Big Dipper? If so, this star formation serves as a wonderful guide to the Leo star Regulus.

From mid-northern latitudes, the upside-down Big Dipper shines way up high in the northern sky as darkness falls. The Big Dipper is even visible from the southern tropics, though it sits lower down in their northern sky on these May and June evenings.

Draw an imaginary line from the star Megrez and through the star Phecda, and then take a long jump to the star Regulus. Try this star-hopping trick tonight. Then try it again when the moon leaves the evening sky in another couple weeks.

Bottom line: On the night of May 10, 2016, the bright star near the moon is Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo the Lion, often called the Lion’s Heart.

 

Author

Bruce McClure

Bruce McClure

Bruce McClure is the chief writer for the popular EarthSky Tonight pages. Since joining EarthSky in 2004, he has written thousands of astronomy articles, enjoyed here by millions. He also writes, gives planetarium shows and hosts a wide assortment of public astronomy programs in and around his home in upstate New York. If you ask an astronomy question on our site, it’s likely to be Bruce that answers it. His love for the heavens has taken him to Lake Titicaca in Bolivia, and he has sailed the North Atlantic, earning his celestial navigation certificate through the School of Ocean Sailing and Navigation. Bruce is also a sundial aficionado. He says his number one passion – besides his wife Alice – is stargazing.

Article published on EarthSky

Feng Shui for Love

 

 

 

 

 

Feng Shui for Love

Prep your home for passion

By Stephanie Dempsey

Love, Feng Shui

 

Feng Shui practitioners believe that the best way to attract love to your life is to adjust your environment accordingly. Dingy surroundings, piles of clutter, and self-absorbed artwork can actually drive Cupid from your door.

Here are 10 simple tips for finding your perfect mate, or for increasing the passion in your long-term relationship or marriage.

Create cozy seating arrangements

Single chairs send a loud and clear message to prospective suitors and spouses: back off! If you’re looking for love, create cozy seating arrangements from love seats, sofas, and chairs. Putting chairs at comfortable angles to each other will signal that you’re ready to welcome a relationship.

Replace images of lone figures with pictures of happy couples

Artwork has a tremendous impact on the subconscious. When you surround yourself with photos, paintings, sculptures, and knickknacks of solitary figures, you’ll carry yourself accordingly. Replacing such images with representations of happy couples will make you more receptive to love.

Keep the television out of the bedroom

Nothing kills romance like the drone of late night television. If you have trouble falling asleep, try unwinding by reading love poetry or romantic novels. Your subconscious will shift accordingly, making you a virtual love magnet.

Treat yourself to sensual bedding

That old ratty pillow from college and those serviceable sheets aren’t doing your sex life any favors. Go ahead and splurge on pillows, blankets, and sheets that invite you to linger in bed.

Downsize from a king to a queen

Sleeping on a huge mattress won’t encourage intimacy. Invest in a comfortable queen-sized bed if you’d like to cultivate more love in your life. If you simply can’t make the switch, make sure to sleep on patterned sheets to add some zest to your sex life.

Make space for each other

Avoid making your partner feel crowded out by your possessions by reducing your personal clutter in shared areas of your home, closets, drawers, etc. When you demonstrate you are willing to share your physical space generously with your partner, the space in your hearts can open up, too.

Pull your bed away from the wall

Pushing your bed against the wall effectively crowds out any chance for love to expand in your life. Arrange your bed so that it has enough space to walk on either side. Before you know it, you’ll be cuddling close with your special someone, instead of hugging your pillow for comfort as if you were alone.

Make your “Gua” a shrine to love

Using the front door of your home as a reference point, the far right corner of your home represents relationships and is known as the “Relationship Gua” in Feng Shui. Therefore, you need to keep this area intimate and inviting. A love seat illuminated with adjustable lighting is ideal for this special spot.

Keep the family at bay

Your bedroom represents your romantic life. Therefore, the last images you want to see here are photos of dear old Mom and Dad. Children’s artwork and toys will also undermine your sex life. Celebrate these relationships in other areas of your household, but keep your boudoir a private retreat.

Think pink!

Warm colors like pink and red can enliven your love life considerably. Soft shades like rose, salmon, and coral can attract a gentle partner who is attentive to your needs, while bold colors like scarlet, crimson, and burgundy will draw a passionate adventurer to your side.

 

Part of the Daily Insight Group