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.

2018 April 4

Intrepid Crater on Mars from Opportunity 
Image Credit: NASA, JPL, Cornell, Opportunity Rover Team,

Explanation: The robotic rover Opportunity sometimes passes small craters on Mars. Pictured here in 2010 is Intrepid Crater, a 20-meter across impact basin slightly larger than Nereus Crater that Opportunity had chanced across previously. The featured image is in approximately true color but horizontally compressed to accommodate a wide angle panorama. Intrepid Crater was named after the lunar module Intrepid that carried Apollo 12 astronauts to Earth’s Moon 49 years ago. Beyond Intrepid Crater and past long patches of rusty Martian desert lie peaks from the rim of large Endeavour Crater, visible on the horizon. The Opportunity rover continues to explore Mars, recently surpassing 5,000 Martian days on the red planet.

Use the Big Dipper to find the Little Dipper

So you say you can find the Big Dipper, but not the Little Dipper? This post is for you. Here’s the view northward on April evenings. At present the Big Dipper is high in the north during the evening hours. Notice the two outer stars in the bowl of the Big Dipper. These two stars – called Duhbe and Merak – always point to Polaris, the North Star. Find Polaris, and you can find the Little Dipper.

Polaris is special because Earth’s northern axis nearly points to its location in the sky. It’s the star around which the entire northern sky appears to turn.

Polaris is also fun to locate for another reason. It’s part of a famous – though elusive – star pattern, known as the Little Dipper.

So here it is! The Little Dipper! The North Star, Polaris, marks the end of its handle.

By the way, Polaris is less than a degree away from the true north celestial pole on the sky’s dome now. It’ll be closest to true north – less than half a degree away – in the year 2102. The change is due to a motion of Earth called “precession,” which causes Earth’s axis to trace out a circle among the stars every 26,000 years.

By the way, thousands of years ago, Polaris was an ordinary star in the northern sky, known to the Greeks by the name Phoenice.

Other ordinary stars in the northern sky now – Kochab and Pherkad, the two outermost stars in the bowl of the Little Dipper (see chart below) – have had the honor of being pole stars.

Kochab and Pherkad served as twin pole stars from about 1500 B.C. to about 500 B.C.

They’re still sometimes called the Guardians of the Pole.

Kochab is located about 126 light-years away. Pherkad is more distant, at about 480 light-years by some estimates. Meanwhile, Polaris is a bit more than 400 light-years away.

Bottom line: The Big Dipper is usually pretty easy to find, but the Little Dipper is less easy. This post tells you how to use the Big Dipper to find Polaris and the Little Dipper, plus how to recognize the stars Kochab and Pherkad.

The Wisdom of Buddha

An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind.

Your Daily Charm

Today’s Meaning:
The spirit of someone you knew dearly is trying to guide you in this aspect. In a dark room light a single candle and focus upon its light. Listen carefully with your heart and you will know what to do.

General Description:
These Gnostic amulets were held in high esteem for their supposed magical properties. They were made of bronze, sometimes gilt, and covered with inscriptions and curious occult signs. The Gnostics were mystic sects which flourished in the second century A.D., in the Eastern provinces of the Roman Empire. The nails were carried as charms for protection from all evil influences, also to guard the living from the lemurs, the ghosts of the unhappy dead. Nails with inscriptions were frequently buried with the body to prevent any haunting by the spirit.

Your Karmic Lesson Numbers are 1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  

Karmic Lesson numbers reveal areas in which we need to grow. To become more complete, we need to give extra attention to these areas in this lifetime. If one of your 5 core numbers is the same as a Karmic Lesson Number the significance of the Karmic Lesson Number is reduced.

A 1 Karmic Lesson Number suggest you need to become more forceful. Your will needs strengthening and you have to learn to stand up for yourself and that which you believe in.

A 2 Karmic Lesson Number indicates a need to learn the art of diplomacy and tact. Try to be more sensitive to the feelings of those around you. Make an effort to learn to work with others as a team.

A 3 Karmic Lesson Number often reflects a person who is far too hard on themselves. Make an effort to not judge your performance too harshly.
The number 3 appears in your core numbers, so the the importance of this number is lessened.

A 4 Karmic Lesson Number is indicative of a need for direction in life. Although you may feel somewhat confused about why you are here, work to find your true path through this life.

A 5 Karmic Lesson Number points to someone who may not come close to experience life at its fullest—someone who spends too much time on the sidelines. Try and spark the spirit of adventure in yourself. Don’t watch. Do!

A 6 Karmic Lesson Number denotes an inability or reluctance to make commitments. Even when you do commit yourself to something it may be your nature to hold back any true passion for the commitment or relationship. Over time you might do well to slowly allow your passions to express themselves and put your heart into your commitments and relationships.

A 7 Karmic Lesson Number signifies you may be neglecting your innate talents. Whether it is a lack of will or fear of failure, it appears you are not devoting enough time and energy to honing those talents that are core to your being. You know what you are best at, so embrace it.

A 8 Karmic Lesson Number points to a talent for making money that is not properly governed. You may experience tremendous swings in your financial status. This is because while you know how to make money, you also tend to be way too speculative and impulsive when dealing with matters of finance. Try and develop a more cautious approach to money matters and it is possible these swings in fortune will diminish.

A 9 Karmic Lesson Number indicates an inability to see the toils of those around you. You need to work on your compassion and ability to see beyond your view of the world.

Psychic Tip of the Day

Tarot.com is Part of the Daily Insight Group ©2018

If You Were Born Today, April 4:

You expect to work for what you want in life and are always aware of your responsibilities. Nevertheless, you are playful and sometimes mischievous. You are straightforward in your dealings with others, and sometimes quite blunt! You value honesty and integrity in others as well. A confident and friendly manner sometimes hides a tendency to worry a lot about your future. You are an independent thinker. Famous people born today: Robert Downey Jr., Heath Ledger, Maya Angelou, Anthony Perkins, David Blaine.

Your Birthday Year Forecast:

With the Sun and Moon in harmony in your Solar Return chart, the year ahead should be satisfying and balanced overall. You are in comfortable demand and personally popular, and you are able to achieve a decent balance between work and play; personal and professional life. For the most part, you are on top of your game this year, and positive connections with others can be made fairly easily. With the ability to handle your emotions successfully, there is less stress on both your mind and body. Your self-confidence and positive attitude will reward you!

Personal magnetism is tremendous this year. You are playfully competitive and might win a major competition, if applicable. This is a good period for creative projects and joining with others in pursuing a common goal.

Certain elements of your social life and financial life are stabilized, secured, and more reliable this year. You may solidify a romantic relationship or become involved with a mature partner. Circumstances may be such that you need to handle money more carefully this year, or this may simply come naturally to you now. Support from older people or authority figures may come by way of solid advice or more tangible help. Renewed ties to old friends are possible, or a new sense of responsibility in existing friendships, are also highly likely.

Saturn transits square to your Sun from January 2019 forward and this can encourage you to straighten out neglected areas of your life. You’ll be working hard at disciplining yourself. You are likely to have new or increased responsibilities, and it might take some time to get adjusted to them. The need to re-structure and re-organize your life will be apparent at some point during this period. Much can be accomplished. Although you may not always see immediate results for your efforts, important groundwork can be laid for the future.

The year ahead can be an ambitious time and a supportive period for reaching your goals. You might solve a long-standing problem, or capitalize upon a resource that was previously hidden.

This is an excellent year in which to advance projects revolving around communications – writing, speaking, selling, and so forth. Your reputation may be enhanced through word of mouth. Making new contacts through learning and mental pursuits figures strongly as well.

With Mars conjunct Saturn in your Solar Return chart, you are more determined and hard-working than usual. This is an excellent time to get organized and to stick with projects through to the end. When you face obstacles to your goals, which is a likely scenario this year, you are likely to just keep on pushing. Progress may be slow, but it’s steady and solid. What you accomplish now will benefit you for years to come. You may be called to task for a responsibility that you’ve avoided in the past.

Jupiter forms a trine to your Sun from January 2019 forward, and you have a stronger than usual desire to improve, grow, and learn. This is a fortunate aspect that helps boost optimism and confidence, and you are able to attract fortunate circumstances into your life as a result. Problems are easier to resolve. Matters related to universities, higher education, religion, publishing, legal affairs, and/or foreign interests can be especially strong. It’s an excellent time to further your education. You are likely to enjoy a larger perspective on matters that keeps you from getting lost in details or overly frustrated by everyday stresses during the course of the month.

This is a year for solving problems and getting your life in order in significant ways. You receive plenty of cosmic support for making big improvements or lifestyle changes, although hard work is necessary. This can be a wonderful time for meeting new people or more thoroughly enjoying your current friendships.

2018 is a Number One year for you. Ruled by the Sun. This is a year of action. The seeds you plant now, you will reap later. Others might find you less sociable, as you are busier than ever and you focus on your activities and your needs. Still, you are outgoing and your initiative is stronger than ever. Advice – Stand alone, take action, start fresh, express independence.

2019 will be a Number Two year for you. Ruled by the Moon. This is a year of potential companionship. It is a quiet, gentle, and mostly harmonious year that is less active than other years. Instead, you are more responsive to the needs of others. If you are patient and open yourself up in a gentle manner, you will attract both things and people. This is an excellent year in which to build and develop for the future. Advice – be patient, be receptive, enjoy the peace, collect.

Source

Cafe Astrology

Amazing April is here!

There is much to celebrate this month. LOVE and PASSION will be the focus throughout April.

In numerology, April 2018 is a 6 Universal Month (4 + 2+0+1+8 = 15, 1+5 = 6).

The number 6 is associated with all matters of the heart – relationships, beauty, harmony, and love. Your relationships will be center stage this month, including how you relate to yourself so you can create more self-love and harmony in your life.

A little love from above

Mars and Venus, the lovers of the zodiac, will be sharing the skies and helping you define who and what you feel passionate about. If you’ve been questioning yourself, or wondering why you haven’t been feeling confident, fear not! There’s some potent celestial energy brewing that will help you integrate your heart and your mind so you can pursue your passions with joy and courage!

April 2018 Energy Report

a message from Jennifer Hoffman

To read more of Jennifer’s insight, please visit her website, Jennifer Hoffman, Life Re-Vibed

For once we have a ‘normal’ month as far as energy movement goes. Since January we have been off-balance energetically and we have seen that with the roller coaster ups and downs in personal and global events. April’s themes are indulgence and resurrection, so we’ll have opportunities for ‘me’ time as well as bringing our hopes and dreams out of the dark closets we have put them into. This is a month where we celebrate spring and new growth cycles, it’s another call to shine brightly and we have much energetic support to take aligned, inspired action, which begins with us. Everything we do in April has to be centered on taking care of our needs first, being true to ourselves, engaging in self-support, and that is how we will make the best use of April’s expansive energy.

April begins with two big events, the full moon of March 31 in Aries and Easter, which is April 1 (on April Fool’s Day). So the month starts out with the bright full moon lighting the dark night sky and the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. The word resurrect means ‘to bring back to life’. What can be resurrected in your life now, starting with how much energy you are putting into creating your own life and the reality you live in? If you’re always putting others’ needs first and your dreams have been left behind, you can resurrect them this month.

Another big aspect in April is the movement of Venus into Taurus, the first sign it rules. This brings forward the theme of ‘indulgence’ to the forefront – how we take care of ourselves and give our needs the attention they require. If you’re tired, worn out, and run down, April’s energy will encourage you to rest, relax, and give yourself the same level of care and attention you give others.

What is the difference between being indulgent and wasting time and energy? Are we being wasteful when we take a nap because we’re tired instead of cleaning house, doing the dishes, or running an errand for someone? We can indulge our need for a nap because we’re tired and then assess whether we want to do the other things. We’ll need to define that difference for ourselves now because this is about creating self value, energetic balance and using our energy resources wisely, ensuring that we are part of the group that is on the receiving end of our energetic attention.

Venus in Taurus also signifies value – what you value and what is valuable to you. How do you set your value priorities? Do you compromise them to be liked or valued by others?

And with Mercury retrograde until April 16th, being indulgent and resurrecting things from the past will also figure prominently. Have you ever rushed out the door with a full list of things to do only to find you left your wallet at home or, as happened to me once, you see that your car has a flat tire and that changes all of your plans? Sometimes the Universe reminds us that we need to slow down, take care of ourselves and fill our own energy tank on a regular basis. Mercury retro is good for release, review, refresh, re-think, re-consider, renew, resolve, and rest.

Many ascension cycles are going to be ending in April and in May so that new ones can begin. While we believe that ascension happens in a straight line, a one-shot journey from A to B, it does not happen that way (which is why we can feel like we are not making any progress). Instead, we move through ascension in energetic cycles and once we have completion and closure with the one we’re in, the next one begins. That’s why I highlight them, note when they will happen in the monthly energy reports, email you as they are occurring, and post about them on social media because these cycles follow each other – as one ends, we step into the next one.

Let’s look at the current cycles for a minute. Uranus entered Aries in March 2011 during a major awakening phase that was crucial to this ascension cycle. Uranus is the great disruptor and we can thank it, and its close journey with Eris, for the dis-integration of the 3D paradigms of greed, control, power over, and domination. As it finishes its transit of Aries, the sign of the pioneer and the first zodiac sign, it has created an awakening of the concept of the individual’s place in the community (Uranus symbolizes the collective).

The previous Uranus in Aries cycle began in 1934 – the rise of Nazi Germany and fascism in the world, as well as a devastating world war. What are we seeing today? The awakening of humanity to these agendas and the resistance to the destruction of personal and national sovereignty. And the 7 years of Uranus in Aries has brought us together as a community through technology (and Uranus rules both community and technology) in ways that were unimaginable in 1934.

One more powerful energy aspect this month is the Mars/Saturn conjunction, active the first week of April. This is building the energy for the epic January 2020 Saturn/Pluto conjunction in Capricorn – the previous one happened in 1517. This is a powerhouse of energy so know that it’s available to you and use it well.

‘Power to the people’ is more than a Beatles song; it’s the new paradigm for all of us.

We are each a unique spark of divine light but we are also members of the community of light which includes all of humanity. What we do in our own lives we add it to the banquet of transformation potential that is available to all of humanity.  This community spirit has intensified during the last 8 years and our awareness of this inter-connection has made us realize that whatever evil in the world can be overcome with the collective’s desire for a higher frequency that includes peace, joy, love, and prosperity for all.

In these final weeks of Uranus’ Aries transit we can focus on expanding and strengthening that community spirit because in Taurus, Uranus will show us the value of being the family of humanity and how we can use the power of common intention to transform the world.

The middle of the month is very busy too, with a new moon on the 15th that is going to do plenty of energy resurrecting because it’s activating Uranus in Aries and Eris for one parting blast. Not a lot is written about Eris, the goddess of chaos and strife but she and Uranus have been quite a pair in the last 3 years as they have been creating a lot of chaos. They play a big role in the dis-integration of the 3D paradigms. Eris entered Aries in March 1925, it leaves in May 2045, so its influence will be around for a while.

This new moon is the final highlight of Uranus in Aries, which won’t happen for another 84 years. In the next 3 weeks, we have closure as Uranus moves out of its June 2017 shadow retrograde and it winds up it’s Aries presence which began in March 2011. Then it hits the final degrees of Aries and goes into Taurus on May 15.

For the first time since December 2017 we have a normal lunar month in April, with only a new and full moon. Since January we have had unusual moon activity, with multiple or no full moons, and that has dragged us through an intense realization of the power of our emotional energy. We use our emotions to filter energy. So if you have been noticing how your emotions impact your energy field, especially dense emotions like anger, grief, sadness, resentment, regret, guilt, and shame, this passage has done its work.

There is more to this topic, see the video below for additional insights into April’s energy. And the best way to use this month’s energy is to indulge yourself, slow down, pay attention to your body – it is the vessel for spiritual energy.

You receive and share energy through the body and is an important part of your ascension journey. Give it the care and attention it needs now. We have been through a lot and that journey is not over yet.

April starts with resurrection – what can you resurrect in your life now? Review your dreams, hopes, and desires. Are any of them still valid for you? Is it time for some energetic house cleaning to remove the density that is clogging the drains of your dreams? April has lots of energy to fill your tank and make your dreams a reality.  Have a wonderful month.

©2012 Pepper Lewis and The Peaceful Planet.  All of the information presented is for your reading and enjoyment. It can be shared in whole or in part with others who may find it of value as long as it is for personal use. In so doing, we ask that you always include the copyright notice located at the bottom of each document. This ensures our ability to make this information available to those who do not have access to the Internet. All other reprints including electronic transmissions designed for commercial use must receive permission from the author. Publications and websites interested in carrying this information as monthly columns or special features are encouraged to do so. If the material must be shortened in length, please clearly state that it is an edited version and refer the readers to the original full-length version.