Hay

Mermaid Purses & Gynandromorphs: A Quirky Animal Quiz

7. A group of meerkats is called a _________________.

a. gang
b. google
c. village
d. mob

8. A group of sea otters is called a ________________.

a. gang
b. raft
c. pod
d. mob

9. A group of camels is called a __________________.

a. flock
b. mob
c. drift
d. pack

10. At what age could a reindeer likely outrun you?

a. one hour old
b. one day old
c. two weeks old
d. two months old

11. Male honeybees (drones) are missing which of the following?

a. stinger
b. stomach
c. abdomen stripes
d. antennae

12. A baby jellyfish is called a _____________.

a. medusa
b. ephyrae
c. fry
d. nymph

 13. A group of squid is called a ______________.

a. pod
b. cephalopod
c. dynasty
d. squad or shoal

14. A baby ant is called a/n _______________.

a. antling
b. cria
c. larva
d. nymph

15. Anteaters can eat up to ________________ insects per day.

a. 30,000
b. 60,000
c. 100,000
d. 800,000

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 February 25

Highest, Tallest, and Closest to the Stars
Image Credit & Copyright: Jeff Dai, O Chul Kwon, Stéphane Guisard (Los Cielos de America), TWAN

Explanation: Fans of planet Earth probably recognize its highest mountain, the Himalayan Mount Everest, on the left in this 3-panel skyscape of The World at Night. Shrouded in cloud Everest’s peak is at 8,848 meters (29,029 feet) elevation above sea level. In the middle panel, stars trail above volcanic Mauna Kea forming part of the island of Hawaii. Festooned with astronomical observatories, its summit lies a mere 4,168 meters above sea level. Still, measured from its base starting below the ocean’s surface, Mauna Kea is over 10,000 meters tall, making it Earth’s tallest mountain from base to summit. At right, beneath the arc of the Milky Way is the Andean mountain Chimborazo in Ecuador. The highest equatorial mountain, the Chimborazo volcano’s peak elevation is 6,268 meters above sea level. But rotating planet Earth is a flattened sphere (oblate spheroid) in shape, its equatorial diameter greater than its diameter measured pole to pole. Sitting nearly on top of Earth’s greatest equatorial bulge, Chimborazo’s peak is the farthest point on the planet’s surface from the center, over 2,000 meters farther from the center of the Earth than Everest’s peak. That makes Chimborazo’s summit the place on Earth’s surface closest to the stars.

Moon and Spica on February 25

Tonight – February 25, 2016 – stay up late (or wake up early) to see the moon with the star Spica. And if you miss them tonight, try again over the next several nights. At mid-northern latitudes, the waning moon and Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo the Maiden, climb up above the horizon by around 10 to 11 p.m. local time. At southerly latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere, the moon and Spica are up by mid-evening.

As the Earth spins eastward beneath the starry sky tonight, the moon and Spica will move upward and westward until reaching their high point for the night around 3 a.m. local time tomorrow, on February 26. Before daybreak, look for the moon and the star Spica to shine in the western half of sky.

The moon rises and sets an average 50 minutes later each day. On the other hand, the backdrop stars of the Zodiac rise and set about four minutes earlier daily. That’s why the moon and Spica shine together on the sky’s dome for only a few days of the month.

The star Spica rises and sets about one-half hour earlier with each passing week, or some two hours earlier with each passing month. So by the time April comes rolling around, Spica will be up by nightfall. That’s why we in the Northern Hemisphere associate this sparkling blue-white beauty with the season of spring!

Bottom line: Either late this evening – February 25, 2016 – or in the wee hours before sunrise on February 26, see the waning moon paired up with Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo.

Author

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.org

The Words of Confucius

It is easy to hate and it is difficult to love. This is how the whole scheme of things works. All good things are difficult to achieve; and bad things are very easy to get.

Question:

How will our day be?

Why, oh why, do I keep consulting it, lol!

Your Daily Influences
February 25, 2016 

Two of Wands
New ventures will require courage and logic. Influence over others grows. Kindness and altruism pay off.

Ingwaz
Ingwaz signifies completion, success and fertility. Your present ambitions are about to be met. You are fecund in both mind and body.

The Caduceus
You will find you have within you the ability to resolve all conflicts and disagreements with regard to this aspect. You will find an eloquence you did not realize before.

Your Daily Influences represent events and challenges the current day will present for you. They may represent opportunities you should be ready to seize. Or they may forewarn you of problems you may be able to avoid or lessen. Generally it is best to use them as tips to help you manage your day and nothing more.

Your Month Ahead Reading for March

This Reading is used to reveal key influences that will effect your life in the up-coming month.

March
Heron

Is your life in a state of balance? If not, long-legged Heron has flown in today to help you. Because Heron is a water bird, he is most often associated with emotions. He stands motionless, almost in a trance, his body mirrored in the water below. Take a few moments this month to be like Heron—be quiet, go within, and discover the answer to your questions

Your Grandfather Sun, Grandmother Moon Reading For February 25th

The animal spirit that appears in the Grandfather Sun position represents the active energy that’s called for at this time; the animal spirit in the Grandmother Moon position represents the passive or receptive energy necessary. The Outcome Animal Spirit represents the results you can expect if you manage to maintain a balanced path.

Grandfather Sun

Ant

Ant is dutiful, patient, industrious and focused. If you ever put an obstacle in the middle of an ant trail, you’ll notice that ant will go over it, around it, or even under it—but ant will NOT let the obstacle drive him backwards. Above all, ant is a team player, and knows that if each member of the team does his assigned task, the team will succeed. Do you have goals that are best met by team effort? If so, get the other players off the bench and let them into your game.

Outcome

Butterfly

Beautiful butterfly has fluttered into your reading to remind you of the powerful transformational energies at work in your life. If something important seems to be stagnating, know that transformation is at work just below the surface—and just like the caterpillar, the “cocooned” situation you’re fretting about is about to be freed.

Grandmother Moon

Hummingbird

Sorrow and worry have no place in your life today, as Hummingbird’s message is one of absolute joy. Hummer’s darting movements, flashes of brilliant reds and greens, and unmistakable whirr are all guaranteed to bring a smile to the face of even the most dour among us. If live has been difficult of late, know that joy is whirring your way.

Your Ancient Symbol Card for Today

The Journey

While physical travel may be involved, The Journey represents an individual’s spiritual trek from one point to another. The Journey is represented by a sailboat gliding across an open sea. Like those traversing the ocean The Journey requires that we move off the firm ground of our present state and strike out for a new destination. The trip itself may well be full of adventure and challenges. There may be times when we lose sight of where we came from and possibly not even know where we’re going. Storms may crop up without warning. Diversions may slow our progress to our destination down. While it’s good to have an idea of where you want to go, it’s equally important to remember that often it’s the getting there and not the destination that is the most rewarding. To take such a spiritual voyage takes courage and conviction that direction in which your are moving is right for you.

As a daily card, The Journey indicates a time in which you are likely to derive insight and spiritual growth by moving off your everyday path. Although the time span is short, this movement may have a profound and enduring effect on your life. Indeed you may be on the verge of experiencing a revelation, or enjoying a period of self actualization. Be open to new paths and you may well end up with some very positive changes in your life.