Today marks the 40th Birthday of the legendary gangsta rapper Tupac "2Pac" Shakur and his birthday will be celebrated by many fans of the murdered star whose life was taken in a fatal shooting in 1996. Yesterday a chilling confession may lead the authorities closer to the culprit behind the star's murderer as the man who shot him in 1994 has confessed to the act.

Some facts regarding the singer's life include:

1) He signed his recording contract with Death Row Records on toilet paper while serving a sentence in an upstate New York prison.

2) Tupac was out on bail from a sexual assault case at the time of his death.

3) Tupac Shakur was once married to Keisha Morris. The marriage was annulled shortly after.

4) Tupac was slated to act in the movies "Cool Runnings," "Higher Learning," and "How To Be A Player."

5) Tupac's Death Row debut album, All Eyez on Me, was rap's first double disc CD.

So a lot of fond recollection will be made today on the anniversary of his 40th birthday and many people will lament at the tragic loss of a talented rap artist.

A criminal has confessed to authorities that he was the culprit behind the 1994 robbery and shooting of Tupac Shakur that triggered the bloody rivalry that ultimately led to the rapper's murder two years later in 1996. The man's name is Dexter Isaac, who is now serving a life imprisonment for murder and he has claimed to website allhiphop.com that he robbed the rapper outside the Quad Studio in Manhattan in November 1994 on the orders of hip hop management mogul James "Jimmy Henchman" Rosemond.

He says that Rosemond, the CEO of Czar Entertainment who manages Mike Tyson and Sean Kingston, gave him $2,500 "plus all the jewelry" except for one ring the CEO wanted for his girlfriend. The CEO confessed to authorities last month after a fugitive warrant was issued for his arrest in relation to federal cocaine distribution charges.

So a shocking development in the murder case of Tupac Shakur and with this evidence authorities may be able to come across more in the coming future.

Tonight sees a Lunar Eclipse occur and will be visible in many places across the globe but what of the phases the moon goes through during it's eclipse? There are 8 different positions the Moon goes through in it's cycle and these will be seen tonight as the moon becomes more and more eclipsed.

The image to the left shows the different positions that it goes through in it's orbit around the earth. In any position, half of the moon is lit up by the sun (the light side of the Moon) and half is not (the dark side). Also, half of the Moon is visible to the Earth (the near side of the Moon) and half is not (the far side). As the Moon moves around the Earth, we can see different portions of the illuminated half of the Moon.

So a real treat tonight for those with a keen liking for astronomy and will be a exquisite sight to behold.