|
The Luminaries
''The Luminaries'' is a 2013 novel by Eleanor Catton. Set in New Zealand's South Island in 1866, the novel follows Walter Moody, a prospector who travels to the West Coast settlement of Hokitika to make his fortune on the goldfields. Instead, he stumbles into a tense meeting between twelve local men, and is drawn into a complex mystery involving a series of unsolved crimes. The novel's complex structure is based on the system of Western astrology, with each of the twelve local men representing one of the twelve signs of the zodiac, and with another set of characters representing planets in the solar system. The novel has won many awards and honours, including the 2013 Booker Prize. It was adapted into the BBC/TVNZ miniseries ''The Luminaries'' in 2020. In 2022, it was included on the " Big Jubilee Read" list of 70 books by Commonwealth authors, selected to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II. Plot The story begins with one of the book's protagonists, Walter ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eleanor Catton
Eleanor Catton (born 24 September 1985) is a New Zealand novelist and screenwriter. Born in Canada, Catton moved to New Zealand as a child and grew up in Christchurch. She completed a master's degree in creative writing at the International Institute of Modern Letters. Her award-winning debut novel, '' The Rehearsal'', written as her Master's thesis, was published in 2008, and has been adapted into a 2016 film of the same name. Her second novel, ''The Luminaries'', won the 2013 Booker Prize, making Catton the youngest author ever to win the prize (at age 28) and only the second New Zealander. It was subsequently adapted into a television miniseries, with Catton as screenwriter. Early life Catton was born in Canada, where her father was a graduate student completing his doctorate at the University of Western Ontario on a Commonwealth scholarship. Her mother Judith is a New Zealander from Canterbury, while her father, philosopher Philip Catton, comes from Washington State. Her ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1 News
''1 News'' (stylised as ''1News'') is the news division of New Zealand television network TVNZ. The service is live television, broadcast live from TVNZ Centre in Auckland. The flagship news bulletin is the nightly 6 pm news hour, but ''1 News'' also has midday and late night news bulletins, as well as current affairs (news format), current affairs shows such as ''Breakfast'' and ''Seven Sharp''. The 6 pm programme is New Zealand's most-watched news programme. As of July 2008, it has a market share of 44% (651,400+ each night). TVNZ's Executive Editor, News and Current Affairs (formerly known as Head of News and Current Affairs) is Phil O'Sullivan. O'Sullivan had previously been in the role in an acting capacity since June 2022. His predecessors include John Gillespie who departed TVNZ in 2020, and Paul Yurisich who was appointed to the role of Head of News and Current Affairs until he resigned from TVNZ in 2022 after a review into the hiring of former Al Jazeera Eng ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aries (astrology)
Aries () (Greek: Κριός riós Latin for "ram") is the first astrological sign in the zodiac, spanning the first 30 degrees of celestial longitude (0°≤ <30°), and originates from the . Under the tropical zodiac, the Sun transits this sign from approximately March 21 to April 19 each year. This time duration is exactly the first month of the (Arabic Hamal/Persian Farvardin/Pashto Wray). According to the [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stellarium (software)
Stellarium is a free and open-source planetarium, licensed under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2, available for Linux, Windows, and macOS. A port of Stellarium called Stellarium Mobile is available for Android, iOS, and Symbian as a paid version, being developed by Noctua Software. All versions use OpenGL to render a realistic projection of the night sky in real time. Stellarium was featured on SourceForge in May 2006 as ''Project of the Month''. History In 2006, Stellarium 0.7.1 won a gold award in the Education category of the Les Trophées du Libre free software competition. A modified version of Stellarium has been used by the MeerKAT project as a virtual sky display showing where the antennae of the radiotelescope are pointed. In December 2011, Stellarium was added as one of the "featured applications" in the Ubuntu Software Center. Planetarium dome projection The fisheye and spherical mirror distortion features allow Stellarium to be projected on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sky & Telescope
''Sky & Telescope'' (''S&T'') is a monthly American magazine covering all aspects of amateur astronomy, including the following: *current events in astronomy and space exploration; *events in the amateur astronomy community; *reviews of astronomical equipment, books, and computer software; *amateur telescope making; and *astrophotography. The articles are intended for the informed lay reader and include detailed discussions of current discoveries, frequently by participating scientists. The magazine is illustrated in full color, with both amateur and professional photography of celestial sights, as well as tables and charts of upcoming celestial events. History ''Sky & Telescope'' was founded by Charles A Federer and his wife Helen Spence Federer and began publication at Harvard College Observatory in November 1941, as a result of the merger of the separate magazines, '' The Sky'' and ''The Telescope''. In 2005, Sky Publishing Corporation was acquired by New Track Media, a portfo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sagittarius (astrology)
Sagittarius () (Greek: Τοξότης ''Toxótēs'') is the ninth astrological sign, which is associated with the constellation Sagittarius and spans 240–270th degrees of the zodiac. Under the tropical zodiac, the sun transits this sign between approximately November 22 and December 21. Greek mythology associates Sagittarius with the centaur Chiron, who mentored Achilles In Greek mythology, Achilles ( ) or Achilleus ( grc-gre, Ἀχιλλεύς) was a hero of the Trojan War, the greatest of all the Greek warriors, and the central character of Homer's '' Iliad''. He was the son of the Nereid Thetis and Pe ..., a Ancient Greece Mythology, Greek hero of the Trojan War, in archery. Sagittarius, the half human and half horse, is the centaur of mythology, the learned healer whose higher intelligence forms a bridge between Earth and Heaven. Also known as the Archer, Sagittarius is represented by the symbol of a bow and arrow. Astrology Along with Aries and Leo, Sag ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Triple Conjunction
A triple conjunction is an astronomical event when two planets or a planet and a star appear to meet each other three times during a brief period, either in opposition or at the time of inferior conjunction, if an inferior planet is involved. The visible movement of the planet or the planets in the sky appears therefore normally prograde at the first conjunction, retrograde at the second conjunction, and again prograde at the third conjunction. The lining-up of three planets is a particular case of syzygy. There are three possible cases of triple conjunctions. Of inferior planets with superior planets or stars If Mars is in conjunction with the Sun, there is often a triple conjunction between Mars and Mercury or between Mars and Venus. In the events in which Mercury is involved, the second conjunction is invisible because of small elongation from Sun; both other events are difficult to see because of the nearness to horizon and the relatively low brightness of Mars, whi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Patu
A patu is a club or pounder used by the Māori. The word ''patu'' in the Māori language means to strike, hit, beat, kill or subdue. Weapons These types of short-handled clubs were mainly used as a striking weapon. The blow administered with this weapon was a horizontal thrust straight from the shoulder at the enemy's temple. If the foe could be grasped by the hair then the patu would be driven up under the ribs or jaw. Patu were made from hardwood, whale bone, or stone. The most prestigious material for the patu was pounamu (greenstone). Maori decorated the patu by carving into the wood, bone or stone. Types of patu include: * '' patu pounamu'' or '' mere'': made from pounamu (greenstone). * ''patu onewa'': made of stone. These resemble the mere in outline but thicker, because the stone used was more easily broken than the resilient pounamu. * ''patu paraoa'': made of whale bone * ''patu tawaka'' and ''patuki'': made from wood. Other styles of short handled wooden clubs inc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Laudanum
Laudanum is a tincture of opium containing approximately 10% powdered opium by weight (the equivalent of 1% morphine). Laudanum is prepared by dissolving extracts from the opium poppy (''Papaver somniferum Linnaeus'') in alcohol (ethanol). Reddish-brown in color and extremely bitter, laudanum contains several opium alkaloids, including morphine and codeine. Laudanum was historically used to treat a variety of conditions, but its principal use was as a pain medication and cough suppressant. Until the early 20th century, laudanum was sold without a prescription and was a constituent of many patent medicines. Today, laudanum is recognized as addictive and is strictly regulated and controlled as such throughout most of the world. The United States Controlled Substances Act, for one example, lists it on Schedule II, the second strictest category. Laudanum is known as a "whole opium" preparation since it historically contained all the alkaloids found in the opium poppy, w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Séance
A séance or seance (; ) is an attempt to communicate with spirits. The word ''séance'' comes from the French word for "session", from the Old French ''seoir'', "to sit". In French, the word's meaning is quite general: one may, for example, speak of "''une séance de cinéma''" ("a movie session"). In English, however, the word came to be used specifically for a meeting of people who are gathered to receive messages from ghosts or to listen to a spirit medium discourse with or relay messages from spirits. In modern English usage, participants need not be seated while engaged in a séance. Fictionalised conversations between the deceased appeared in ''Dialogues of the Dead'' by George, First Baron Lyttelton, published in England in 1760. Among the notable spirits quoted in this volume are Peter the Great, Pericles, a "North-American Savage", William Penn, and Christina, Queen of Sweden. The popularity of séances grew dramatically with the founding of the religion of Spiritualis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chinatown
A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Australasia. The development of most Chinatowns typically resulted from mass migration to an area without any or with very few Chinese residents. Binondo in Manila, established in 1594, is recognized as the world's oldest Chinatown. Notable early examples outside Asia include San Francisco's Chinatown, San Francisco, Chinatown in the United States and Melbourne's Chinatown, Melbourne, Chinatown in Australia, which were founded in the mid-19th century during the California Gold Rush, California and Victorian gold rush, Victoria gold rushes, respectively. A more modern example, in Montville, Connecticut, was caused by the displacement of Chinese workers in the Chinatown, Manhattan, Manhattan Chinatown following the September 11th attacks in 2001. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pounamu
Pounamu is a term for several types of hard and durable stone found in southern New Zealand. They are highly valued in New Zealand, and carvings made from pounamu play an important role in Māori culture. Name The Māori word , also used in New Zealand English, refers to two main types of green stone valued for carving: nephrite jade, classified by Māori as , , , and other names depending on colour; and translucent bowenite, a type of serpentine, known as . The collective term pounamu is preferred, as the other names in common use are misleading, such as New Zealand jade (not all pounamu is jade) and greenstone (a generic term used for unrelated stone from many countries). Pounamu is only found in New Zealand, whereas much of the carved "greenstone" sold in souvenir shops is jade sourced overseas. The Māori classification of pounamu is by colour and appearance; the shade of green is matched against a colour found in nature, and some hues contain flecks of red or bro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
_Église_Notre-Dame_Sablière_01.JPG "Click for more on -> Sagittarius (astrology)")
