title: Devilman Crybaby

text: The series was first announced in March 2017 to celebrate Nagai's 50th anniversary as a creator. In August, its first trailer was released on Netflix Japan's YouTube channel and it was revealed that the anime would have ten episodes. All episodes were released exclusively on Netflix on January 5, 2018, in 90 countries or territories. The series was made available in 23 subtitled languages and seven spoken languages; the dubbed languages include English, French, German, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, standard Spanish, and Castilian Spanish. On May 30, 2018, Aniplex Japan released the complete series on Blu-ray Disc as part of a "complete box". An exhibit of the series called "Sabbath Shibuya" was held at Japanese music store chain Tower Records between May and June 2018. Japanese clothing brand Beams produced "Devilman Crybaby"-inspired street fashion, while Aniplex released polystone statues based on the anime.


title: Devilman Crybaby

text: Kensuke Ushio composed "Devilman Crybaby" music. The anime features "Man Human" by Denki Groove as its opening theme, while Takkyū to Tabibito performs a special ending theme song "Konya Dake" (lit. "Tonight Only") only for episode nine. "Crybaby" also features a remix of the theme song for the 1970s anime, "Devilman no Uta", in a version performed by Queen Bee's Avu-chan as an insert song. The rapper Ken the 390, who also dubbed the character Wamu in the Japanese version, was the supervisor of the rap sequences in the series. Its two-disc, 48-track original soundtrack was released on January 10, 2018, by Aniplex. The complete box also included a "Devilman Crybaby Freestyle Rap All Tracks" CD.


title: Devilman Crybaby

text: "Devilman Crybaby" is based on "Devilman", whose main objective, according to Nagai, was to be an anti-war story. As such, "Crybaby" is a depiction of how humans can be as violent and cruel as the so-called demons. Heather Alexandra of Kotaku wrote that demons are the ones doing violent actions at the start, but that humans replicate their behavior as the story progresses. Many critics said the persecution of demons in human disguise was a metaphor for bigotry; for example, Megan Farokmanseh of "The Verge" commented the series is an allegory "about the cost of persecuting those we don't understand" and attacking people perceived as different. Alexandra stated the panic people create about demons is analogous to the actions of homophobia, transphobia, racism, or other moments people "see [other] people as the 'other'". Mike Toole of "Anime News Network" commented the anime depicts how fast people will be able to other "suspicious or abnormal" people in order to protect their own groups. The "Decider"s Eric Thurm said the mass violence reflects the anti-war narrative and that the series' "political message" is a reflection on "humanity's tendency toward paranoia and willingness to turn on others".


title: Devilman Crybaby

text: Brittany Vincent wrote for Syfy.com that the series leads to an "inevitable existential crisis", while Bloody Disgusting's Michael Pementel highlighted its "existential and emotional elements". Alexandra said the series endeavors to reflect on many philosophical questions, including on goodness, on debauchery, and on being human. GameSpot's Kallie Plagge described it as a meditation on the meaning of being human, while Lynzee Loveridge of "Anime News Network" wrote it questions whether or not there is a line that separates humanity from monstrosity. Rob Salkowitz of "Forbes" wrote it also explores religion and the frality of social institutions. Pementel also discussed the role of manipulation on starting the frenzy of violence among the population. Toole commented that "Crybaby" discusses the proliferation of urban legends and the difficulty people have to deal with "societal upheaval". "Anime News Network"'s Rose Bridges highlighted the role of mass media and technology in the anime as they should supposedly unite but instead facilitate "judgmental impulses". She also commented it reflected on how this judgment may devastate people internally, which is symbolized by the demons' emergence from the inside of people's bodies.


title: Devilman Crybaby

text: "Devilman Crybaby" was also interpreted as an allegory for puberty, especially male adolescence. Toole commented that the physical and mental changes Akira goes through after obtaining Devilman's powers represent metaphorically the anxiety during puberty. Vincent stated it was a story about "self-discovery, and coming to terms with yourself", while Allegra Frank of Polygon said the series shows "a real love for young people". Nick Creamer of "Anime News Network" called it a tale "about the chaos of puberty, about struggles with sexual identity and unrequited love". James Beckett, also commented for "Anime News Network", that it reflects on how young people deal with sex, love, and self-identity, and how it affects their "sense of worth". "Anime News Network"'s Jacob Chapman said it features stories of people "learning to accept themselves and love each other". Bridges commented it has a positive message to LGBT watchers, as it depicts "the destructive nature of the closet", while also showing that self-acceptance can strengthen people who are suffering. "The Japan Times" writer Matt Schley stated that despite being an adaptation of Nagai's "Devilman", it felt more like a spiritual successor to "Kemonozume", since both handle the subjects of identity, prejudice, religion and star-crossed love.


title: Devilman Crybaby

text: "Crybaby" featured the original apocalyptic ending of the manga, not featured in any other "Devilman" animated adaptations. Daryl Surat of "Otaku USA" called it nihilistic, while Remus Noronha of Collider commented that "a sense of tragic inevitability" is presented through the whole series. Alexandra said the anime shows the manga's nihilism although it seems to exhibit a lot of hope near the end. Kotaku's Chris Person wrote that, despite ending in a tragedy, he does not think it is appropriate to characterize "Devilman Crybaby" as nihilistic "because it has an emotional core and a thesis that it strongly believes in". Frank commented the devastated Satan's tears for Akira "makes such a nihilistic ending feel not so totally hopeless". Yuasa himself commented on this subject, saying "Crybaby" focused on Ryo's character. While Akira is resolute about his actions from beginning to end, Ryo faces doubts, "internal changes and struggles at least". They meet as a child and Akira is the only one who supports Ryo, who develops feelings for him but does not realize it. Akira's role is to teach Ryo something and the story's essential point "is about what Ryo learns in the end"; and "in the end, it's about love".


title: Devilman Crybaby

text: "Devilman Crybaby" announcement created anticipation among anime fans. It was the Netflix original anime that attracted the "biggest buzz", according to James Hadfield of "The Japan Times". It turned out to be "the first big talking point of the year in the anime community", according to Syfy.com's Christopher Inoa. It was described as "one of 2018's most talked-about anime" by "The Japan Times" Roland Kelts, and "one of the most talked-about anime releases for many years" by Dan Auty of GameSpot. The Devilmen running-style attracted some attention among anime fans, including YouTuber PewDiePie, and was dubbed "the best animated running since "Naruto"". The series' remix of "Devilman no Uta" also became a popular meme. Nevertheless, it was "one of the most divisive anime of the Winter 2018 season", according to Nick Valdez of ComicBook.com, because of Yuasa's "stylized take" on Nagai's original work. The anime was a regular topic on Twitter in January 2018; ComicBook.com's Megan Peters reported on it, declaring "to say it has been controversial is an understatement". Peters commented the main source of disagreement was about its "over-the-top imagery" that "enthralled" some and "revolted" others.


title: Devilman Crybaby

text: Although Netflix does not disclose viewership numbers, Auty, Valdez, Kelts, and "Forbes" Lauren Orsini have described the series as a "hit". Its viewership consisted most of non-Japanese audience; 90% of it were from outside Japan. Nevertheless, Japanese Blu-ray release was the 11th best-selling product on its medium and in its release week sold at least 2,637 copies. Inoa wrote that the "immediate reaction" to it indicated it was probably Yuasa's most popular work. Writing for "Otaku USA", Vincent commented it is one of Yuasa's "most instantly recognizable works". Because of "Devilman Crybaby"s popularity, GKIDS showed interest in releasing Science SARU's previous works "Night Is Short, Walk On Girl" and "Lu over the Wall". Likewise, Sam Reach of Anime News Network commented, "Go Nagai fever is running red-hot nowadays, thanks in no small part to "Devilman Crybaby"". Nagai himself, the 1970s "Devilman" anime screenwriter Masaki Tsuji, and filmmaker Sion Sono praised "Crybaby".


title: Devilman Crybaby

text: Based on nine reviews collected by review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, "Devilman Crybaby" has received mostly positive critical reviews, with an overall approval rating of 89% from 9 critics and an average score of 6 out of 10. The anime has been considered one of the best anime available on Netflix, as well as one of the best or the best anime of 2018, while it was awarded "Anime of the Year" at the 3rd Crunchyroll Anime Awards, along with Yuasa being awarded Best Director. The anime was among the 14 Japanese works listed in the Jury Selections in the Animation Division of the 22nd Japan Media Arts Festival Awards by Japanese government's Agency for Cultural Affairs. "Crybaby" was also chosen among the best anime of the 2010s by the staffs of Crunchyroll, IGN and Polygon, while Film School Rejects selected it as one of the best animated series of the decade. "Paste" magazine's staff elected it the 35th best anime of all time, with critic Toussaint Egan writing the anime is "not only as one of the best series in recent memory, but one that will stand the test of time". Frank of Polygon, Vincent, Cecilia D'Anastasio of Kotaku, and Beckett of "Anime News Network" called the series a "masterpiece". Peters wrote it exhibits all the a attributes of "an artistic cult classic", while Bridges of "Anime News Network" deemed it "just top-to-bottom perfect".


title: Devilman Crybaby

text: The series has been noted for its graphic violence and sexual content; the latter has been compared to pornography. Its gore content has been highlighted, and because of its "ultra-violence" it has usually been described as "not for the faint of heart" or "weak of heart". Auty of GameSpot stated it "has pushed back the boundaries" of what type of content can be shown in a streaming service, and wrote an entire article dedicated to why the series has "some of the most extreme content ever to hit Netflix". Toole stated it is "the most ludicrously violent, sexed-up anime TV series ever aired", while Joyce Slaton wrote for Common Sense Media that its mature content exceed what is expected to be featured in adult-aimed anime. Emily Gaudette of "Newsweek" called it "the bloodiest, most profane animated series of the year", and Thurm of "Decider" described it as the "grossest show on TV". "The Japan Times" Schley commented that "Crybaby" differs from other "Devilman" adaptations because of its "level of on-screen sex and violence" and that it was more suitable for the public of the 1980s with its "ultra-violent films" like "Akira", "Demon City Shinjuku" or "Violence Jack". On the other hand, Chapman of "Anime News Network" felt it was not difficult to bear the violence because of "Yuasa's super-cartoony style".


title: Devilman Crybaby

text: While Peters of ComicBook.com and Rebecca Silverman of "Anime News Network" said most of the content was "gratuitous", Farokhmanesh of "The Verge" disagreed, saying it is "a tool used to demonstrate the overindulgent, sometimes disgusting nature of being human". Likewise, Sanchez of IGN deemed it to be "one of the rare graphic action anime that has an incredible story to back up". Peters said it "is as harrowing as it is thought-provoking", while Pementel of Bloody Disgusting commented "its violence cuts on an intimate level" because of the themes it evokes. Beckett concluded the series features a "poetical vision" and that its focus on personal experiences makes it intimate, despite the violence. Alexandra of Kotaku was divided on the topic; while understanding the story's focus on humans' vileness and indulgency, she described it as "occasionally distracting" and said the amount of violence makes it lose its impact fast. Kotaku's Person commented that the sexual depictions were "deeply silly" and fit the plot, since the first part is about sex's ludicrosity and absurdity, especially to young people. However, Alexandra also highlighted how the camera frames several woman "in the most lustful way possible", while Loveridge of "Anime News Network" stated it demonizes female sexuality as all demons in the Sabbath are female and their demon traits are based on their sex organs which then devour the men.


title: Devilman Crybaby

text: Many critics commented about "the remarkable animation style", as reported Pementel. It was considered one of the most "visually striking" anime of all time by Loveridge, while it has been described as "visually enthralling" by Thurm, and "visually stunning" by Matt Kamen for GamesRadar+ and by Frank. Theron Martin of "Anime News Network" commented, "you won't see a more [...] outlandish visual spectacle in anime this season". Loveridge called it a "visual trip unlike any other", while Salkowitz of "Forbes" stated that the series "breaks out the most eye-melting psychedelia seen on the small screen" since MTV's "Liquid Television". Writing for "Otaku USA", Vincent said, "Yuasa's signature fluid animation [...] transform[s] what could have ultimately been an unattractive gorefest into an attractive ballet of human and demonic interaction". Daniel Kurland of Den of Geek said that "there's nothing too special about "Devilman" at its surface level", but that Yuasa's injection of his "eye-popping animation and art direction" turns the story into "something special".


title: Devilman Crybaby

text: Another aspect of "Devilman Crybaby" that was commended includes its "pumping" and "pulsing" soundtrack, which Inoa qualified as "so good it is an outright tragedy that it isn't available on Spotify". Musically, the rap sequences were praised both by fans and specialized media like "Hypebeast". Others, including Creamer of "Anime News Network", praised the "rich characterization". Surat of "Otaku USA" commented, "The key is characterization", which he praised for not being limited to just Akira and Ryo. Toole enjoyed how Miki was no more a mere plot device that she was in the manga and the punks' reconceptualization as rappers. The way it dealt with sexuality and its openly LGBT characters also received praise; Surat said "many strongly resonate with "Crybaby" for its emphasis on explicitly gay and lesbian characters in a dramatic presentation". Person liked the fact that there were "empathetic depictions" from both genders of the difficulty of being oneself and its "explicit and metaphorical queer presence". Farokhmanesh also found "its unwavering acceptance of storylines like queer romance" to be "refreshing" and praised its subversion of toxic masculinity. The ending was divisive; PewDiePie considered it "flat" and a "fatal flaw" in the series, while Frank deemed its "beautiful, devastating finale" to be "perfection".


title: Devilman Crybaby

text: "Crybaby" has generally been considered to be faithful to the original manga, maintaining its sexual and violent content. Surat declared it to be "perhaps the most faithful animated adaptation of it". Egan of "Paste" stated it "is as orgiastically violent and unflinchingly risqué as Nagai's original manga". Toole said that at first "Devilman Crybaby" appears to be "a straight take on Nagai's classic story", and also compared the first episodes to the 1987 original video animation of "Devilman". Vincent considered it to be "the best iteration of "Devilman" to have ever existed" because of Yuasa's animation. Zac Bertschy of "Anime News Network" concluded that "it elevates the material into something else entirely, a spectacularly gay firestorm, a screaming, crying apocalypse that takes hold of you the moment it starts and never lets go".


title: Cedric the Entertainer

text: Cedric Antonio Kyles (born April 24, 1964), better known by his stage name Cedric the Entertainer, is an American actor and stand-up comedian. He hosted BET's "ComicView" during the 1993–1994 season and "Def Comedy Jam" in 1995. He is best known for co-starring with Steve Harvey on The WB sitcom "The Steve Harvey Show", as one of "The Original Kings of Comedy", and for starring as Eddie Walker in "Barbershop". He hosted the 12th season of the daytime version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" in 2013–14 and starred in the TV Land original series "The Soul Man", which aired from 2012 to 2016. He has also done voice work for "Ice Age", the "Madagascar" film series, "Charlotte's Web", "Planes" and "". He currently stars on the CBS sitcom "The Neighborhood". In 2019, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.


title: Cedric the Entertainer

text: Cedric was born on April 24, 1964 in Caruthersville, Missouri, the son of Rosetta (née Boyce), a schoolteacher, and Kittrell Kyles, an employee of The Missouri Pacific Railroad. He has a younger sister, Sharita Kyles Wilson, a communications professor at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.


title: Cedric the Entertainer

text: Cedric was raised in Caruthersville, Missouri, but after junior high school he moved to Berkeley, Missouri, a northern suburb of St. Louis. He is a graduate of Berkeley High School.


title: Cedric the Entertainer

text: In 1995, Cedric moved into acting, auditioning for and receiving his first-ever role as The Cowardly Lion in the 1995 Apollo Theater Revival of "The Wiz". He expanded his career by playing Steve Harvey's friend Cedric Jackie Robinson on "The Steve Harvey Show". He then began appearing in films, including "Barbershop", "", "Ride", "Serving Sara", "Johnson Family Vacation", "Intolerable Cruelty", "Man of the House", "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events", "Madagascar, , " and "Be Cool". He was the subject of controversy when his "Barbershop" character made unpopular remarks about Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. These comments were spoken in character, as part of the script; he has never apologized for them. In "Madagascar", he voiced Maurice the aye aye. In October 2005, he joined the Champ Car auto racing series as a part owner. He appeared in the movie "Charlotte's Web" as the voice of Golly the gander.


title: Cedric the Entertainer

text: While his acting career grew, Cedric continued to do stand-up and traveled the country as one of the "Kings of Comedy" headliners with Steve Harvey, D. L. Hughley and Bernie Mac. The act was later made into a Spike Lee film, "The Original Kings of Comedy". Cedric had his own sketch comedy show, "Cedric the Entertainer Presents", but after being renewed for a second season, it was canceled by Fox before the season began. He took time to write a book, "Grown-A$$ Man." He then appeared in the 2003 video game "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004". His most recent HBO Comedy Special was "Cedric The Entertainer: Taking You Higher". (Two of the background dancers from the special were Kamilah Barrett and Sandra Colton, who were finalists in Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance".) He also recorded comedic interludes on two multi-platinum selling albums, Nelly's "Country Grammar" (2000) and Jay-Z's "The Black Album" (2003).


title: Cedric the Entertainer

text: In the 2007 comedy film "", Cedric plays Jake, a janitor with amnesia who may be a secret undercover government agent involved in an illegal arms conspiracy. He starred in the 2008 films "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins" and "Street Kings".


title: Cedric the Entertainer

text: Cedric appeared as the lead comedian at the White House Correspondents Dinner, but jokingly remarked that he was unprepared because he thought that he would follow a humorous speech by President George W. Bush. He instead followed First Lady Laura Bush, who called him "hilarious" and "probably the funniest person" she had ever met.


title: Cedric the Entertainer

text: Cedric has won many awards, beginning with $500 in the Johnny Walker National Comedy Contest in 1990 and coming in first in the Miller Genuine Draft Comedy Contest in 1993. BET named him Richard Pryor Comic of the Year. He has also won four NAACP awards.


title: Cedric the Entertainer

text: He was the special guest host for "WWE Raw" on September 21, 2009, in Little Rock, Arkansas. During the show, he participated in a wrestling match, defeating Chavo Guerrero Jr. by pinfall. The match also featured Santino Marella as a guest referee. Cedric also got help from an unknown wrestler dubbed The Sledge Hammer (played by Imani Lee) and Hornswoggle.


title: Cedric the Entertainer

text: In March 2010, Cedric made his directorial debut with "Dance Fu", produced and funded independently by his company Bird and a Bear Entertainment with producer Eric C. Rhone. It starred comedian Kel Mitchell. Cedric made a cameo appearance in the film as a homicide detective. It was released straight to DVD on October 4, 2011.


title: Cedric the Entertainer

text: In a June 21, 2011, interview, Cedric said his latest reality game show, "It's Worth What?", would air on NBC on July 12, 2011, but the start date was delayed by one week to July 19. Starting in 2012, he played the main character in the TV Land original series "The Soul Man", featuring Niecy Nash. The series ran for five seasons and ended in 2016.


title: Cedric the Entertainer

text: Cedric was the host of the classic American TV show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" beginning with its 12th season in national syndication, which premiered on September 2, 2013. "With his deep roots as a legendary stand-up comedian and actor, Cedric will bring his fresh approach and unpredictable fun to the show", said Disney-ABC Domestic Television president Janice Marinelli. On April 30, 2014, Cedric announced that he was leaving "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" after the 2013–14 season to focus on his busy schedule. Terry Crews took over as host on September 8, 2014.


title: Cedric the Entertainer

text: Cedric is married to Lorna Wells. They have two children, Croix (born 2000) and Lucky Rose (born 2003). He also has a daughter, Tiara (born 1990), from a previous relationship. He continues his involvement with his high school by awarding a scholarship each year to a graduating senior through the Cedric the Entertainer Charitable Foundation, whose motto is "Reaching Out...Giving Back". Cedric majored in mass communication at Southeast Missouri State University and worked as a State Farm insurance claims adjuster and substitute high school teacher before becoming a full-time comedian. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi. In May 2015, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in fine arts and humanities by Lincoln University of Missouri (his parents' alma mater). In 2018, St. Louis honored him by renaming the street in front of the Kappa Alpha Psi Alumni House Cedric The Entertainer Way.


title: Ursa Major

text: Ursa Major (; also known as the Great Bear) is a constellation in the northern sky, whose associated mythology likely dates back into prehistory. Its Latin name means "greater (or larger) bear," referring to and contrasting it with nearby Ursa Minor, the lesser bear. In antiquity, it was one of the original 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD, drawing on earlier works by Greek, Egyptian, Babylonian, and Assyrian astronomers. Today it is the third largest of the 88 modern constellations.


title: Ursa Major

text: Ursa Major is primarily known from the asterism of its main seven stars, which has been called the "Big Dipper," "the Wagon," "Charles's Wain," or "the Plough," among other names. In particular, the Big Dipper's stellar configuration mimics the shape of the "Little Dipper." Two of its stars, named Dubhe and Merak (α Ursae Majoris and β Ursae Majoris), can be used as the navigational pointer towards the place of the current northern pole star, Polaris in Ursa Minor.


title: Ursa Major

text: Ursa Major, along with asterisms that incorporate or comprise it, is significant to numerous world cultures, often as a symbol of the north. Its depiction on the flag of Alaska is a modern example of such symbolism.


title: Ursa Major

text: Ursa Major is visible throughout the year from most of the Northern Hemisphere, and appears circumpolar above the mid-northern latitudes. From southern temperate latitudes, the main asterism is invisible, but the southern parts of the constellation can still be viewed.


title: Ursa Major

text: Ursa Major covers 1279.66 square degrees or 3.10% of the total sky, making it the third largest constellation. In 1930, Eugène Delporte set its official International Astronomical Union (IAU) constellation boundaries, defining it as a 28-sided irregular polygon. In the equatorial coordinate system, the constellation stretches between the right ascension coordinates of and and the declination coordinates of +28.30° and +73.14°. Ursa Major borders eight other constellations: Draco to the north and northeast, Boötes to the east, Canes Venatici to the east and southeast, Coma Berenices to the southeast, Leo and Leo Minor to the south, Lynx to the southwest and Camelopardalis to the northwest. The three-letter constellation abbreviation "UMa" was adopted by the IAU in 1922.


title: Ursa Major

text: The outline of the seven bright stars of Ursa Major form the asterism known as the ""Big Dipper"" in the United States and Canada, while in the United Kingdom it is called the "Plough" or (historically) "Charles' Wain". Six of the seven stars are of second magnitude or higher, and it forms one of the best-known patterns in the sky. As many of its common names allude, its shape is said to resemble a ladle, an agricultural plough, or wagon. In the context of Ursa Major, they are commonly drawn to represent the hindquarters and tail of the Great Bear. Starting with the "ladle" portion of the dipper and extending clockwise (eastward in the sky) through the handle, these stars are the following:


title: Ursa Major

text: Except for "Dubhe" and "Alkaid", the stars of the Big Dipper all have proper motions heading toward a common point in Sagittarius. A few other such stars have been identified, and together they are called the Ursa Major Moving Group.


title: Ursa Major

text: The stars Merak (β Ursae Majoris) and Dubhe (α Ursae Majoris) are known as the "pointer stars" because they are helpful for finding Polaris, also known as the North Star or Pole Star. By visually tracing a line from Merak through Dubhe (1 unit) and continuing for 5 units, one's eye will land on Polaris, accurately indicating true north.


title: Ursa Major

text: Another asterism known as the "Three Leaps of the Gazelle" is recognized in Arab culture. It is a series of three pairs of stars found along the southern border of the constellation. From southeast to southwest, the "first leap", comprising ν and ξ Ursae Majoris (Alula Borealis and Australis, respectively); the "second leap", comprising λ and μ Ursae Majoris (Tania Borealis and Australis); and the "third leap", comprising ι and κ Ursae Majoris, (Talitha Borealis and Australis respectively).


title: Ursa Major

text: W Ursae Majoris is the prototype of a class of contact binary variable stars, and ranges between 7.75 and 8.48.


title: Ursa Major

text: 47 Ursae Majoris is a Sun-like star with a three-planet system. 47 Ursae Majoris b, discovered in 1996, orbits every 1078 days and is 2.53 times the mass of Jupiter. 47 Ursae Majoris c, discovered in 2001, orbits every 2391 days and is 0.54 times the mass of Jupiter. 47 Ursae Majoris d, discovered in 2010, has an uncertain period, lying between 8907 and 19097 days; it is 1.64 times the mass of Jupiter. The star is of magnitude 5.0 and is approximately 46 light-years from Earth.


title: Ursa Major

text: The star TYC 3429-697-1 ( ), located to the east of θ Ursae Majoris and to the southwest of the "Big Dipper") has been recognized as the state star of Delaware, and is informally known as the Delaware Diamond.


title: Ursa Major

text: Several bright galaxies are found in Ursa Major, including the pair Messier 81 (one of the brightest galaxies in the sky) and Messier 82 above the bear's head, and Pinwheel Galaxy (M101), a spiral northeast of η Ursae Majoris. The spiral galaxies Messier 108 and Messier 109 are also found in this constellation. The bright planetary nebula Owl Nebula (M97) can be found along the bottom of the bowl of the Big Dipper.


title: Ursa Major

text: M81 is a nearly face-on spiral galaxy 11.8 million light-years from Earth. Like most spiral galaxies, it has a core made up of old stars, with arms filled with young stars and nebulae. Along with M82, it is a part of the galaxy cluster closest to the Local Group.


title: Ursa Major

text: M82 is a nearly edgewise galaxy that is interacting gravitationally with M81. It is the brightest infrared galaxy in the sky. SN 2014J, an apparent Type Ia supernova, was observed in M82 on 21 January 2014.


title: Ursa Major

text: M97, also called the Owl Nebula, is a planetary nebula 1,630 light-years from Earth; it has a magnitude of approximately 10. It was discovered in 1781 by Pierre Méchain.


title: Ursa Major

text: M101, also called the Pinwheel Galaxy, is a face-on spiral galaxy located 25 million light-years from Earth. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781. Its spiral arms have regions with extensive star formation and have strong ultraviolet emissions. It has an integrated magnitude of 7.5, making it visible in both binoculars and telescopes, but not to the naked eye.


title: Ursa Major

text: NGC 2787 is a lenticular galaxy at a distance of 24 million light-years. Unlike most lenticular galaxies, NGC 2787 has a bar at its center. It also has a halo of globular clusters, indicating its age and relative stability.


title: Ursa Major

text: NGC 3079 is a starburst spiral galaxy located 52 million light-years from Earth. It has a horseshoe-shaped structure at its center that indicates the presence of a supermassive black hole. The structure itself is formed by superwinds from the black hole.


title: Ursa Major

text: NGC 3310 is another starburst spiral galaxy located 50 million light-years from Earth. Its bright white color is caused by its higher than usual rate of star formation, which began 100 million years ago after a merger. Studies of this and other starburst galaxies have shown that their starburst phase can last for hundreds of millions of years, far longer than was previously assumed.


title: Ursa Major

text: NGC 4013 is an edge-on spiral galaxy located 55 million light-years from Earth. It has a prominent dust lane and has several visible star forming regions.


title: Ursa Major

text: I Zwicky 18 is a young dwarf galaxy at a distance of 45 million light-years. The youngest-known galaxy in the visible universe, I Zwicky 18 is about 4 million years old, about one-thousandth the age of the Solar System. It is filled with star forming regions which are creating many hot, young, blue stars at a very high rate.


title: Ursa Major

text: The Kappa Ursae Majorids are a newly discovered meteor shower, peaking between November 1 and November 10.


title: Ursa Major

text: HD 80606, a sun-like star in a binary system, orbits a common center of gravity with its partner, HD 80607; the two are separated by 1,200 AU on average. Research conducted in 2003 indicates that its sole planet, HD 80606 b is a future hot Jupiter, modeled to have evolved in a perpendicular orbit around 5 AU from its sun. The 4-Jupiter mass planet is projected to eventually move into a circular, more aligned orbit via the Kozai mechanism. However, it is currently on an incredibly eccentric orbit that ranges from approximately one astronomical unit at its apoapsis and six stellar radii at periapsis.


title: Ursa Major

text: Ursa Major has been reconstructed as an Indo-European constellation. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century AD astronomer Ptolemy in his "Almagest", who called it Arktos Megale. It is mentioned by such poets as Homer, Spenser, Shakespeare, Tennyson and also by Federico Garcia Lorca, in "Song for the Moon". Ancient Finnish poetry also refers to the constellation, and it features in the painting "Starry Night Over the Rhône" by Vincent van Gogh. It may be mentioned in the biblical book of Job, dated between the 7th and 4th centuries BC, although this is often disputed.


title: Ursa Major

text: The constellation of Ursa Major has been seen as a bear, usually female, by many distinct civilizations. This may stem from a common oral tradition of Cosmic Hunt myths stretching back more than 13,000 years. Using statistical and phylogenetic tools, Julien d'Huy reconstructs the following Palaeolithic state of the story: "There is an animal that is a horned herbivore, especially an elk. One human pursues this ungulate. The hunt locates or get to the sky. The animal is alive when it is transformed into a constellation. It forms the Big Dipper."


title: Ursa Major

text: In Greek mythology, Zeus (the king of the gods, known as Jupiter in Roman mythology), lusts after a young woman named Callisto, a nymph of Artemis (known to the Romans as Diana). Zeus’s jealous wife Hera, (Juno to the Romans), discovers that Callisto has a son named Arcas as the result of her rape by Zeus and transforms Callisto into a bear as a punishment. Callisto, while in bear form, later encounters her son Arcas. Arcas almost spears the bear, but to avert the tragedy Zeus whisks them both into the sky, Callisto as Ursa Major and Arcas as the constellation Boötes. Ovid called Ursa Major the Parrhasian Bear, since Callisto came from Parrhasia in Arcadia, where the story is set.


title: Ursa Major

text: The Greek poet Aratus called the constellation Helike, (“turning" or “twisting”), because it turns around the celestial pole. The Odyssey notes that it is the sole constellation that never sinks below the horizon and "bathes in the Ocean's waves," so it is used as a celestial reference point for navigation. It has also been called the “Wain" or “Plaustrum”, a Latin word referring to a horse-drawn cart.


title: Ursa Major

text: In Hinduism, Ursa Major/Big dipper/ Great Bear is known as Saptarshi, each of the stars representing one of the Saptarishis or Seven Sages (Rishis) viz. Bhrigu, Atri, Angiras, Vasishtha, Pulastya, Pulaha, and Kratu. The fact that the two front stars of the constellations point to the pole star is explained as the boon given to the boy sage Dhruva by Lord Vishnu.


title: Ursa Major

text: One of the few star groups mentioned in the Bible (Job 9:9; 38:32; – Orion and the Pleiades being others), Ursa Major was also pictured as a bear by the Jewish peoples. "The Bear" was translated as "Arcturus" in the Vulgate and it persisted in the King James Version of the Bible.


title: Ursa Major

text: In China and Japan, the Big Dipper is called the "North Dipper" (Chinese: "běidǒu", Japanese: "hokuto"), and in ancient times, each one of the seven stars had a specific name, often coming themselves from ancient China:


title: Ursa Major

text: In Shinto, the seven largest stars of Ursa Major belong to Ame-no-Minakanushi, the oldest and most powerful of all kami.


title: Ursa Major

text: In South Korea, the constellation is referred to as "the seven stars of the north". In the related myth, a widow with seven sons found comfort with a widower, but to get to his house required crossing a stream. The seven sons, sympathetic to their mother, placed stepping stones in the river. Their mother, not knowing who put the stones in place, blessed them and, when they died, they became the constellation.


title: Ursa Major

text: The Iroquois interpreted Alioth, Mizar, and Alkaid as three hunters pursuing the Great Bear. According to one version of their myth, the first hunter (Alioth) is carrying a bow and arrow to strike down the bear. The second hunter (Mizar) carries a large pot – the star Alcor – on his shoulder in which to cook the bear while the third hunter (Alkaid) hauls a pile of firewood to light a fire beneath the pot.


title: Ursa Major

text: The Wampanoag people (Algonquian) referred to Ursa Major as "maske," meaning "bear" according to Thomas Morton in The New England Canaan.


title: Ursa Major

text: The Wasco-Wishram Native Americans interpreted the constellation as 5 wolves and 2 bears that were left in the sky by Coyote.


title: Ursa Major

text: To Norse pagans, the Big Dipper was known as "Óðins vagn", "Woden's wagon". Likewise Woden is poetically referred to by Kennings such as "vagna verr" 'guardian of the wagon' or "vagna rúni" 'confidant of the wagon'


title: Ursa Major

text: In the Finnish language, the asterism is sometimes called by its old Finnish name, Otava. The meaning of the name has been almost forgotten in Modern Finnish; it means a salmon weir. Ancient Finns believed the bear ("Ursus arctos") was lowered to earth in a golden basket off the Ursa Major, and when a bear was killed, its head was positioned on a tree to allow the bear's spirit to return to Ursa Major.


title: Ursa Major

text: In the Sámi languages of Northern Europe, part of the constellation (i.e. the Big Dipper minus Dubhe and Merak, is identified as the bow of the great hunter Fávdna (the star Arcturus). In the main Sámi language, North Sámi it is called "Fávdnadávgi" ("Fávdna's Bow") or simply "dávggát" ("the Bow"). The constellation features prominently in the Sámi national anthem, which begins with the words "Guhkkin davvin dávggaid vuolde sabmá suolggai Sámieanan", which translates to "Far to the north, under the Bow, the Land of the Sámi slowly comes into view." The Bow is an important part of the Sámi traditional narrative about the night sky, in which various hunters try to chase down "Sarva", the Great Reindeer, a large constellation that takes up almost half the sky. According to the legend, Fávdna stands ready to fire his Bow every night but hesitates because he might hit Stella Polaris, known as "Boahji" ("the Rivet"), which would cause the sky to collapse and end the world.


title: Ursa Major

text: In Burmese, "Pucwan Tārā" (ပုဇွန် တာရာ, pronounced "bazun taya") is the name of a constellation comprising stars from the head and forelegs of Ursa Major; "pucwan" (ပုဇွန်) is a general term for a crustacean, such as prawn, shrimp, crab, lobster, etc.


title: Ursa Major

text: In Javanese, it is known as "lintang jong," which means "the jong constellation." Likewise, in Malay it is called "bintang jong."


title: Ursa Major

text: In Theosophy, it is believed that the "Seven Stars of the Pleiades" focus the spiritual energy of the seven rays from the "Galactic Logos" to the "Seven Stars of the Great Bear", then to Sirius, then to the Sun, then to the god of Earth (Sanat Kumara), and finally through the seven Masters of the Seven Rays to the human race.


title: Ursa Major

text: In European star charts, the constellation was visualized with the 'square' of the Big Dipper forming the bear's body and the chain of stars forming the Dipper's "handle" as a long tail. However, bears do not have long tails, and Jewish astronomers considered Alioth, Mizar, and Alkaid instead to be three cubs following their mother, while the Native Americans saw them as three hunters.


title: Ursa Major

text: Noted children's book author H. A. Rey, in his 1952 book "," () had a different asterism in mind for Ursa Major, that instead had the "bear" image of the constellation oriented with Alkaid as the tip of the bear's nose, and the "handle" of the Big Dipper part of the constellation forming the outline of the top of the bear's head and neck, rearwards to the shoulder, potentially giving it the longer head and neck of a polar bear.


title: Ursa Major

text: Ursa Major is also pictured as the Starry Plough, the Irish flag of Labour, adopted by James Connolly's Irish Citizen Army in 1916, which shows the constellation on a blue background; on the state flag of Alaska; and on the House of Bernadotte's variation of the coat of arms of Sweden. The seven stars on a red background of the flag of the Community of Madrid, Spain, may be the stars of the Plough asterism (or of Ursa Minor). The same can be said of the seven stars pictured in the bordure azure of the coat of arms of Madrid, capital of that country.


title: Annabelle Comes Home

text: Annabelle Comes Home is a 2019 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Gary Dauberman, in his directorial debut, from a story by Dauberman and James Wan, who also served as producer with Peter Safran. It serves as a sequel to 2014's "Annabelle" and 2017's "", and as the seventh installment in "The Conjuring" Universe franchise. The film stars Mckenna Grace, Madison Iseman, and Katie Sarife, along with Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson, who reprise their roles as Ed and Lorraine Warren.


title: Annabelle Comes Home

text: In early April 2018, Warner Bros. Pictures announced that a then-untitled film in the Conjuring Universe franchise would be released on July 3, 2019. Later that month, it was announced that the film would be another installment in the "Annabelle" series, with Dauberman signed on to write and direct the film in his directorial debut, based on a story treatment written by Dauberman and Wan. Principal photography commenced by mid-October and officially wrapped in December 2018 in Los Angeles.


title: Annabelle Comes Home

text: "Annabelle Comes Home" was theatrically released in the United States on June 26, 2019, by Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema. It grossed over $231million worldwide and received mixed reviews from critics, who found it less frightening than its predecessors.


title: Annabelle Comes Home

text: Demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren confiscate the Annabelle doll from nurses Debbie and Camilla, who claimed that the doll often performed violent activities in their apartment. During the drive back home, the doll summons spirits to attack Ed, but he narrowly survives. Annabelle is locked in a sacred glass case in the couple's artifacts room that is blessed by Father Gordon to ensure the evil is contained.


title: Annabelle Comes Home

text: Sometime later, the Warrens welcome Mary Ellen, who will be in charge of babysitting their daughter, Judy, at the house while they travel overnight to investigate another case. At school, Judy notices a ghostly priest that begins following her. Mary Ellen's friend, Daniela, arrives uninvited to the Warrens' home, who is secretly curious about speaking to the dead. She sneaks into the artifacts room and starts examining every item, ultimately trying to contact her late father. She abruptly leaves Annabelle's glass case unlocked, and the terror begins shortly afterwards with the spirit of Annabelle "Bee" Mullins unleashed. That night, Annabelle begins releasing other spirits, such as the Ferryman, the Bride, a Feeley Meeley board game, and the Black Shuck.


title: Annabelle Comes Home

text: Mary Ellen's crush, Bob Palmeri, arrives outside the house and serenades her, but is later attacked by the Black Shuck and hides in the Warrens' backyard. Mary Ellen is tormented by the Ferryman, while Judy is confronted by Annabelle in her bedroom. Daniela had left earlier but sneaks back into the house to return the artifacts room's keys. She gets locked inside the room and tormented by various objects, such as a piano and an old television that can predict the near future. She finds the Mourner's Bracelet and sees her father twisted into a malevolent spirit. A bloody and screaming Daniela appears on the television screen after having answered a cursed telephone. The real Daniela later unwittingly reaches to answer the telephone but is interrupted just in time by Judy and Mary Ellen.


title: Annabelle Comes Home

text: Judy explains that they must lock Annabelle in her case again so that the other spirits will rest. Bob protects Judy from the Black Shuck as she retrieves Mary Ellen's asthma inhaler, while Daniela is attacked and possessed by the Bride. Eventually, Mary Ellen and Judy find the doll when the ghostly priest, acting as Judy's guardian, guides them to the Ferryman. They manage to retrieve the glass case's key after they are attacked by demonic hands from the Feeley Meeley board game, and a possessed Daniela, but struggle to secure the case as the demon of the doll physically attacks them. Daniela recovers when Judy plays Ed's recorded footage of the Bride's exorcism, and helps put the doll back in the case. After the case is locked, the disturbances cease as the spirits return to their slumber, and Bob reunites with the trio.


title: Annabelle Comes Home

text: Ed and Lorraine return the next morning, and the girls approach them to recount the eventful night. Later, many friends gather to celebrate Judy's birthday party. Daniela apologizes to Lorraine, who gives her a comforting message from her father.


title: Annabelle Comes Home

text: In early April 2018, Warner Bros. announced that a then-untitled film in the Conjuring Universe franchise would be released on July 3, 2019. Later that month, it was announced that the film would be another installment in the "Annabelle" series, with Gary Dauberman signed on to write and direct the film in his directorial debut, based on a story treatment written by Dauberman and James Wan. Wan and Peter Safran co-produced the project. During the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con, Wan and Safran revealed the film's events would take place after "Annabelle" and would focus on the doll after she had been placed in a glass case in the Warrens' museum. Dauberman later confirmed this, stating that the film would take place shortly after the beginning of "The Conjuring" where the titular character is introduced, but also before many of the events of the first installment.


title: Annabelle Comes Home

text: In late September 2018, Mckenna Grace was cast in the film as Judy Warren, the Warrens' 10-year-old daughter, (replacing Sterling Jerins who played Judy Warren in "The Conjuring" and "The Conjuring 2"), and Madison Iseman as one of Judy's teenage babysitters. By October, Katie Sarife had joined the cast. That same month, it was announced Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga would reprise their roles as Ed and Lorraine Warren.


title: Annabelle Comes Home

text: Principal photography commenced by mid-October in Los Angeles, with Michael Burgess serving as cinematographer. On December 7, Wilson announced that he had finished filming his scenes. A week later, filming officially wrapped. In February 2019, Joseph Bishara—who composed the scores for "The Conjuring", "Annabelle", "The Conjuring 2", and "The Curse of La Llorona"—was revealed to be scoring "Annabelle Comes Home". On March 30, 2019, Kirk M. Morri was announced as the film's editor.


title: Annabelle Comes Home

text: "Annabelle Comes Home" was theatrically released in the United States on June 26, 2019, by Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema. It was originally scheduled for release on July 3, 2019, but was later moved up to June 28, and then to June 26. The studio spent a total of $77 million promoting the film. The film is dedicated to Lorraine Warren, who died on April 18, 2019. "Annabelle Comes Home" was released on Digital HD on September 17, 2019, and on Blu-ray and DVD on October 8, 2019. It was released in a May 2022 Blu-ray collection with the other The Conjuring Universe movies.


title: Annabelle Comes Home

text: "Annabelle Comes Home" grossed $74.2million in the United States and Canada, and $157.1million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $231.3million. "Deadline Hollywood" calculated the net profit of the film to be $64million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues.


title: Annabelle Comes Home

text: In the United States and Canada, the film was projected to gross $30–35million from 3,587 theaters over its first five days. It made $7.2million on its first day, a Wednesday, including $3.5million from Tuesday night previews, the third-best total of any "Conjuring" installment. It then made $3.6million on its second day of release for a two-day total of $10.8million. It went on to debut to $20.3million (a five-day total of $31.2million), finishing second at the box office, behind holdover "Toy Story 4", and marking the lowest start of any "Conjuring" film. In its second weekend, the film dropped 52% and grossed $9.8million, finishing in fifth.


title: Annabelle Comes Home

text: On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . The site's critical consensus reads, "Fun for fans even if it isn't as frightening as some of its predecessors, "Annabelle Comes Home" suggests there's still some life left in the "Conjuring" franchise." Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it an average 2.5 out of 5 stars, and a 42% "definite recommend".


title: Annabelle Comes Home

text: Two crew members were nominated for their work on the film. Leah Butler was nominated in the "Best Costume Design" category at the 2019 Fright Meter Awards.


title: Annabelle Comes Home

text: Prior to the release of the film in June 2019, Dauberman commented on the possibility of another film in the "Annabelle" series: "I didn't look at this process ... going, 'What other stuff can we absolutely spin-off into other movies?' [It's about] what works for this movie, and then if people seem to dig it, then we'll go from there." Safran also commented on the possibility, stating that they will continue to develop and create films "as long as [they] keep having original stories to tell. The moment that you start repeating yourself and really diluting the good will that exists out there, then it's the beginning of the end."


title: The Weather Channel

text: The Weather Channel (TWC) is an American pay television channel owned by Weather Group, LLC, a subsidiary of Allen Media Group. The channel's headquarters are in Atlanta, Georgia. Launched on May 2, 1982, the channel broadcasts weather forecasts and weather-related news and analysis, along with documentaries and entertainment programming related to weather. A sister network, Weatherscan, is a digital cable and satellite service that offers 24-hour automated local forecasts and radar imagery. The Weather Channel also produces outsourced weathercasts, notably for RFD-TV.


title: The Weather Channel

text: The Weather Channel was a subsidiary of the Weather Company until the latter was bought by IBM in 2016. The Weather Channel licenses its weather data from IBM.


title: The Weather Channel

text: The Weather Channel was founded on July 18, 1980, by television meteorologist John Coleman (who had served as a chief meteorologist at ABC owned-and-operated station WLS-TV in Chicago and as a forecaster for "Good Morning America") and Frank Batten, then-president of the channel's original owner Landmark Communications (now Landmark Media Enterprises). The channel launched at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on May 2, 1982. Originally, regional and local information was obtained from the National Weather Service for broadcast. Since 2002, all forecasting has been done on-site in Atlanta.


title: The Weather Channel

text: On January 3, 2008, Landmark Communications put the Weather Channel and its assets up for sale. On July 6, 2008, NBC Universal, Bain Capital and Blackstone Group agreed to jointly purchase the Weather Channel from Landmark, making it the channel's first ownership change in 26 years. The sale was finalized on September 12, 2008.


title: The Weather Channel

text: NBC Universal also owned NBC Weather Plus, a rival service which was carried by and featured content from the NBC television network's local network affiliates; that service announced its discontinuation three months later. Over-the-air digital subchannels carrying Weather Plus have since switched to the similarly formatted The Local AccuWeather Channel, kept the Weather Plus engine, or switched affiliations to other networks such as This TV or the Retro Television Network; some have shut down entirely.


title: The Weather Channel

text: From November 2008 to February 2009, the Weather Channel laid off seven long-time on-camera meteorologists: Kristina Abernathy, Eboni Deon, Kristin Dodd, Rich Johnson, Cheryl Lemke, Mark Mancuso and Dave Schwartz (Schwartz would return to TWC in April 2014, but died of cancer on July 30, 2016). With the exception of Deon, all had been on the air for more than ten years, and three of them had been employed by the network for more than twenty years.


title: The Weather Channel

text: In July 2010, the Weather Channel terminated Bill Keneely, the last of the original on-camera meteorologists who appeared on the network's first broadcasts in 1982. In December of that year, the network also laid off on-camera meteorologist Nicole Mitchell, who later would file a lawsuit against the Weather Channel in 2012, alleging that she had been terminated because the channel's new owners disapproved of the time required by her simultaneous duties as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force Reserve as one of the "Hurricane Hunters" team; such reserve duties are protected by U.S. law (Mitchell later served as the chief meteorologist at Al Jazeera America, which for a time also employed Eboni Deon).


title: The Weather Channel

text: Inevitably, the merger of NBC on-air meteorologists began in May 2009. Former NBC Weather Plus meteorologist Todd Santos joined the Weather Channel on May 2 of that year. Al Roker of NBC's "Today" began hosting a one-hour morning program called "Wake Up With Al", alongside meteorologist Stephanie Abrams later in the summer.


title: The Weather Channel

text: However, for New York City-based forecasting operations (those utilized for forecasts on MSNBC and CNBC, for instance), the former NBC Weather Plus forecasting, radar and graphics systems remain in place, with banners changed to fit the Weather Channel's graphics scheme. On September 10, 2009, the Weather Channel co-founder Frank Batten died.


title: The Weather Channel

text: In January 2012, David Kenny took over as chief executive officer of the Weather Channel, replacing former AOL executive Mike Kelly, who had been appointed as the company's CEO in the summer of 2009. Although all operations, sales support and marketing and the bulk of employees are located in the headquarters in Atlanta, Kenny declined to move there, and continues to live in Boston as a remote worker.


title: The Weather Channel

text: Later in 2012, the Weather Channel's holding company changed its name from The Weather Channel Companies to The Weather Company. The company also purchased competing weather service and website Weather Underground the same year. On March 10, 2015, Verizon FiOS dropped the Weather Channel and WeatherScan for their rival AccuWeather.


title: The Weather Channel

text: On September 9, 2015, the channel announced a phased overhaul of its programming schedule during 2016, in which the channel would gradually shift its focus back towards a forecast-based lineup. The channel cancelled "Wake Up with Al", citing high production costs in New York City compared to Atlanta. It announced that "AMHQ" would be refocused on weather, eliminating lifestyle segments, with Stephanie Abrams becoming host and original host Sam Champion as a contributor for its prime time schedule starting November 2.


title: The Weather Channel

text: The network also announced it would no longer greenlight original long-form programming, and expanded live forecast programming on its schedule throughout 2016 after all remaining long-form programs already in development concluded their runs. In a memo sent out to network staff by Weather Company CEO David Kenny, it explained its refocus on weather-based programs was done so that "our most passionate fans come to us for the weather and the science behind the weather, not our original shows." Around 50 TWC employees – including production, engineering, and financial staff – were laid off, and the television channel's budget was reduced to shift resources to the company's Internet and mobile properties.


title: The Weather Channel

text: The channel's original format was similar to that of a news and information cable network. Since the creation of the series "Atmospheres" in 2000 and "Storm Stories" in 2003, the Weather Channel had seen a gradual transition toward a mix of weather forecasting and weather-related entertainment programming that paralleled the launch of sister network Weatherscan, the evolution of the always-on "L" bar/weather ticker, the development of weather.com and popular branded mobile phone applications, and the increased viewing and interest in documentary programs on the topic of weather.


title: The Weather Channel

text: In November 2013, the channel introduced a new initiative of "weather all the time" in response to the criticism. All original programming – which was rebranded under the tagline "Natural Drama" – now had direct relevance to weather-related subjects, and the network emphasized its promise to interrupt original programming either regionally or nationally during major weather events. In addition, the Weather Channel extended the display of its lower display line (which was revamped with a new graphics package) to commercial breaks and through entire broadcasts of its original programs.


title: The Weather Channel

text: In August 2015, reports surfaced that the Weather Company's owners were considering a sale of all or part of the venture, having hired Morgan Stanley and PJT Partners to explore their options. On October 28, 2015, it was announced that IBM would acquire most of the Weather Company's assets, including weather.com, Weather Underground, the related mobile applications, and their underlying data platforms, for an undisclosed amount.


title: The Weather Channel

text: IBM planned to leverage its Watson technology as part of the acquisition, foreseeing its use for weather analytics and predictions. The deal, which closed the following January, does not include the Weather Channel itself, which remained owned by the Bain/Blackstone/NBCUniversal consortium, and entered into a long-term licensing agreement with IBM for use of its weather data and "The Weather Channel" name and branding.


title: The Weather Channel

text: In August 2016, reports surfaced that Sinclair Broadcast Group had expressed interest in acquiring ownership of the Weather Channel.


title: The Weather Channel

text: On March 22, 2018, Byron Allen's Entertainment Studios announced its acquisition of the Weather Channel's television assets from the NBCUniversal/Bain/Blackstone partnership. The actual value is undisclosed, but was reported to be around $300 million. The channel's non-television assets, which were separately sold to IBM two years prior, were not included in the sale.


title: The Weather Channel

text: In the early morning of April 18, 2019, the Weather Channel was temporarily unable to air live programming due to what they called a "malicious software attack" on their network. Previously taped shows were aired while engineers worked with backup equipment, and live programming returned to normal within a few hours (at the time, "AMHQ"). As of May 2019, the investigation into the malware attack was still active.


title: The Weather Channel

text: In May 2022, on The Weather Channel's 40th birthday, it launched a new direct-to-consumer subscription-based app.


title: The Weather Channel

text: Over the years, attempts to broadcast international versions of TWC – apart from the Australian version of the Weather Channel (now Sky News Weather Channel) – have failed. TWC operates websites that provide localized forecasts in Brazil, France, Germany, India, Latin America and the United Kingdom, but some of these sites may not have developed since 2003. The Weather Channel shares radar imagery and forecasts with the Weather Network in Canada, particularly for the Weather Channel's Canadian forecasts.


title: The Weather Channel

text: , the Weather Channel was received by approximately 79.128 million households that subscribe to a pay television service throughout the United States. Americans regard the Weather Channel as the most trustworthy media organization, according to a 2022 poll by "The Economist" and YouGov.


title: The Weather Channel

text: The Weather Channel provides forecasts for satellite radio provider Sirius XM Radio in the United States. Both services run regional forecasts on a single station, and operate several individual stations providing combined local weather and traffic information for major metropolitan areas.


title: The Weather Channel

text: TWC also maintains content partnerships with a number of local U.S. radio stations to provide local forecasts, using announcers separate from the meteorologists seen on the television channel. For some affiliates, the Weather Channel provides a limited amount of live coverage during local severe weather events (with the Georgia-based announcers connected via ISDN). Distribution of TWC radio content is currently handled by Westwood One.


title: The Weather Channel

text: Similarly, the Weather Channel also provides weather reports for a number of newspapers around the United States. This included a half-page national forecast for "USA Today", for which TWC provided content until September 2012, when rival AccuWeather replaced the Weather Channel as the paper's forecast provider.


title: The Weather Channel

text: On March 28, 2022, TWC announced a content partnership with CBS News, under which it will provide weather reports on "CBS Mornings", the "CBS Evening News", and the CBS News streaming network, as well as collaborate on investigative journalism relating to weather and climate.


title: The Weather Channel

text: On May 2, 2022, The Weather Channel en Español launched on Local Now as TWC celebrates their 40th anniversary. TWC en Español has 24/7 coverage. Milmar Ramírez, Henry Golac, Jessica Fernández, Lorena Lim, Albert Martínez and Abel Hernández leads the team.


title: The Weather Channel

text: TWC provided numerous customized forecasts for online users through its website, weather.com, including home and garden, and event planning forecasts. Third-party web analytics providers Alexa and SimilarWeb rated the site as the 146th and 244th most visited website in the world respectively, as of July 2015. SimilarWeb rates the site as the second most visited weather website globally, attracting more than 126 million visitors per month.


title: The Weather Channel

text: It also provided WAP access for mobile phone users, desktop widgets for quick reference by computer users, and customized weather feeds for individual websites. Cell phone customers could also receive local forecasts from TWC sent to their mobile handsets via SMS by sending a text message with their ZIP code to 42278 (which spells "4cast"). The Weather Channel also provided weather forecasts for other online services including Yahoo!.


title: The Weather Channel

text: In addition, The Weather Channel maintained apps for the iPhone, iPad, Android, Apple TV, Kindle Fire, and Windows mobile and tablet platforms. TWC formerly maintained two versions of its mobile applications: a free version that incorporates advertising and a pay version called "TWC Max" that does not feature advertising, the latter was discontinued in favor of an all ad-supported model on January 6, 2014. Aside from location-based weather forecast information, the apps provided radar maps, and tropical and seasonal updates, as well as social media related functions that track weather-related Twitter messages and allow users to send Facebook friends severe weather alerts. The channel also disseminated severe weather information, and photos and videos submitted by meteorologists and viewers, on its Twitter feed (@TWCBreaking, which also served as a hashtag usable for posts).


title: The Weather Channel

text: In July 2012, the Weather Company (former owner of the Weather Channel) purchased competing weather website Weather Underground. While the Weather Channel already had success with its own mobile apps, it planned to use Weather Underground's large network of digital forecasting and tracking websites to bolster its digital growth. Weather Underground operates separately from the Weather Channel and continues to provide its own forecasts, though its website incorporates some weather news and video content from TWC.


title: The Weather Channel

text: The website weather.com and most of the Weather Channel's digital assets were sold to IBM in January 2016. The Weather Channel as a television operation now uses weloveweather.tv.


title: The Weather Channel

text: Weather forecast programming made up TWC's entire schedule prior to its incorporation of weather-related original programming – referred in network promotional materials and press releases as "long-form programming" – in 2000 (with few breakaways from its forecast programs prior to then, outside of educational program "The Weather Classroom", an original program produced as part of the cable television industry's Cable in the Classroom initiative). The number of hours devoted to TWC's in-studio forecast programs have steadily eroded since then. The network's live studio programs are aired regularly from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on weekdays and from 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time on weekends and holidays. "America's Morning Headquarters" airs weekdays between 6:00 a.m. and noon Eastern Time, followed by "Pattrn," which airs from noon to 1:00 p.m. Eastern, "Weather Underground", which airs from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern followed by the network's drivetime program, "Storm Center", which airs from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern. On weekends, "America's Weekend Headquarters" from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., followed by "Weekend Recharge" from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.


title: The Weather Channel

text: The Weather Channel also broadcast original weather-related documentary/entertainment series and specials. These programs ran throughout the rest of the schedule. During severe weather events affecting portions of the United States, the Weather Channel may preempt original programming in favor of airing extended coverage under the umbrella title "Weather Center Live" (which changes the color of the word "LIVE" from blue to red) to provide long-form coverage and analysis until its aftermath; in some events, the on-air graphics (including Lower Display Line) can go black-and-red (similar to colors that WCL uses); pre-emptions vary between local (isolated to viewers in the region affected by a particular weather event) and nationwide, depending upon the impact of the weather phenomenon/story and if a local provider utilizes a later model WeatherStar unit that allows the use of dual feeds that can substitute programming with long-form weather coverage in a given area. TWC normally utilizes a different music theme for these events, dubbed "Storm Alert Mode", used for both WCL and LOT8's.


title: The Weather Channel

text: In a move that caused controversy with many longtime viewers, the Weather Channel began airing weather-related movies on Friday nights on October 30, 2009. The first feature to be broadcast by the channel was the 2000 film "The Perfect Storm".


title: The Weather Channel

text: After December 2009, these weekly movies were discontinued for the time being in favor of running "Weather Center", which already aired throughout primetime during the rest of the work week. Despite the controversy, the Friday night film block resumed on March 26, 2010, under the title "Flick and a Forecast," co-hosted by the Weather Channel meteorologist Jen Carfagno and MSNBC contributor Touré, with the documentary "Into Thin Air: Deaths on Everest". During the broadcasts, the Lower Display Line that normally appears on TWC shows to provide local weather information (with breakaways during forecast and most long-form programs only for commercial breaks) was removed, appearing only a few times each hour during the film as a substitute for the standard "Local on the 8s" segments, with a translucent TWC logo bug appearing at other times during the film when the LDL was not on-screen.


title: The Weather Channel

text: While the films shown within the "Flick and a Forecast" block were weather-related in some form, some films featured (such as "Misery" and "Deep Blue Sea") had only a minimal tie to weather. On May 31, 2010, "NewsBlues" reported the Weather Channel's decision to cancel the movie block, due in part to viewer criticism of movies being shown on what is intended as a news and information channel, as well as a snafu that occurred during an April 2010 tornado outbreak that led to a scheduled movie being aired instead of wall-to-wall severe weather coverage. The "Flick and a Forecast" presentations were then replaced by an additional hour of "Weather Center" and a two-hour block of long-form original programs.


title: The Weather Channel

text: The Weather Channel's first and most recognized logo was a blue rectangular box with rounded edges that debuted with the Weather Channel's first broadcast on May 2, 1982. This logo was revised in 1996, with the corners becoming less rounded and the logo becoming slightly flat. The "weather.com" URL text was permanently added underneath the logo in 1999. On August 15, 2005, the logo was overhauled again; the logo became a straight-edged square with no white trim on the edge and "The Weather Channel" text became oriented in title-case and left-justified, similar to its Canadian sister channel the Weather Network. A 25th-anniversary logo used in 2007 featured a white square edged in blue connected to the current logo with the text "25 YEARS" inside it in blue.


title: The Weather Channel

text: When NBCUniversal acquired the network in 2008, the network has participated in the "Green is Universal" campaign, which occurs twice a year, usually during April and November. The network's logo changes to a shade of green as part of the campaign promoting environmental conservation. Since 2014, the network has utilized a red-colored version of the logo during hurricane coverage; the red logo has also appeared during severe tornado outbreaks.


title: The Weather Channel

text: On May 20, 2010, Dish Network announced that it was dropping the Weather Channel at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time that day in favor of its own similar weather information channel, the Weather Cast. The carriage dispute was over the rates that the Weather Channel asked Dish Network to pay: from 11¢ per subscriber per month to 12¢, a 9% increase, totaling $140,000 per month. The dispute was also over the Weather Channel's programming format shifting from an information-based channel to an entertainment-based service. The Weather Channel said in a statement, "Dish has chosen to be the first distributor to drop the Weather Channel rather than pay the standard industry rates others in the industry have already agreed to pay", and encouraged Dish Network customers to switch to other pay television providers. Dave Shull, senior vice president for programming for Dish Network said the Weather Channel's fees were harder for the satellite provider to justify paying as more people receive weather information through the internet and mobile services: "They're looking for bid increases when I feel like there's a real migration to the Web, and it's difficult to really justify those rate increases at this time."


title: The Weather Channel

text: On May 24, 2010, the Weather Channel announced that it had reached a new multi-year carriage agreement with Dish Network, the financial terms of which were not disclosed. Despite the earlier announcement that the Weather Channel would be dropped, the channel was never officially removed from Dish Network. The Weather Cast ceased operations in anticipation of the launch of a Weatherscan-based service announced as part of the agreement that would provide local weather information for Dish Network customers. The proposed movie scheduled for the Friday after the deal was struck (May 28), "Gorillas in the Mist", was dropped in favor of a six-hour marathon of "Tornado Road".


title: The Weather Channel

text: DirecTV removed the Weather Channel from its lineup on January 14, 2014, after the two parties were unable to come to terms on a new carriage agreement; as a result, DirecTV became the first major pay television provider to drop the channel in its history. Two weeks before the channel's carriage agreement was set to expire on December 31 (after which the deadline for a new carriage deal was extended by two weeks), the satellite provider began carrying WeatherNation TV (the successor to the Weather Cast and owned by WeatherNation, LLC) on channel 361 on December 16, 2013 – placing the channel next to the Weather Channel's slot on channel 362; WeatherNation replaced the Weather Channel on channel 362 – while still being carried on channel 361 – when TWC was pulled.


title: The Weather Channel

text: The Weather Channel's chief executive officer David Kenny stated that it offered DirecTV the best rate for its programming (according to SNL Kagan, the Weather Channel's average carriage fee at the time was 13¢ per subscriber), and blasted the satellite provider's removal of the channel by stating that it was putting profits ahead of public safety. Representatives for DirecTV stated that it added WeatherNation TV in response to subscriber complaints regarding the number of reality programs on the Weather Channel, which it estimated had amounted to 40% of its daily schedule (WeatherNation TV, which outside of its carriage by DirecTV is primarily carried on broadcast television stations as a main channel affiliation or a digital multicast service, does not run programming outside of forecasts with the only interruption in its weather coverage coming from affiliates that carry children's programs to fulfill FCC educational programming requirements; however, WeatherNation has been criticized for its very limited amount of live programming, which TWC does provide, especially during significant weather events). DirecTV stated that weather information is also available through broadcast television stations carried as part of its local channel tier, as well as the provider's designated emergency channels. The Weather Channel fought back by airing commercials encouraging people to not subscribe to DirecTV by parodying the provider's popular "Get Rid of Cable" ad campaign.


title: The Weather Channel

text: On April 8, 2014, the Weather Channel and DirecTV both settled on a new agreement (TWC decided to alter its programming lineup by trimming the amount of reality programming on weekdays in half, restricting them to its nighttime schedule, in response to complaints from DirecTV subscribers), with the provider restoring the channel on channel 362 the following day. Access to local weather content using the red button feature did not return until May 2, 2014.


title: The Weather Channel

text: Verizon FiOS dropped the Weather Channel and its sister network Weatherscan from its lineup on March 10, 2015, after the two parties were unable to come to terms on a new carriage agreement. The services have respectively been replaced by the AccuWeather Network (which launched on March 10) and a widget provided by FiOS featuring forecast content provided by WeatherBug. No public announcement was made regarding the removal until over 12 hours after TWC and Weatherscan were pulled. The Weather Channel offered a less expensive deal to Verizon FiOS, which rejected the offer. Verizon cited the Weather Channel's frequent use of scare tactics, naming of winter storms and the wide availability of the internet and mobile apps for consumers to access weather content any time of day as the reason for dropping TWC and its services. It is unknown if Frontier FiOS customers in clusters formerly served by Verizon are affected, including (as of April 1, 2016) the recently acquired clusters from California, Texas, and Florida.


title: The Weather Channel

text: A representative for the network said in a statement, "We were disappointed when, without warning late yesterday, March 9, Verizon FiOS dropped the Weather Channel from their lineup while our companies continued to be in active conversations regarding a contract renewal. FiOS customers have enjoyed a bundle of services from the Weather Channel including the network, Weatherscan, On-Demand, a Weather Widget and streaming on mobile devices. During a winter with record-breaking storms and severe weather, the Weather Channel responded with non-stop live coverage, including the ongoing presence of our crews reporting live from hard-hit communities within the Verizon FiOS footprint. This coverage resulted in the Weather Channel being the only major cable network to grow in February."


title: The Weather Channel

text: The Weather Channel had earlier signed renewal agreements with major providers that are members of the National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC), including Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications. However, representatives for the channel claimed to be shocked that "Verizon FiOS would deny their subscribers access to the best live weather coverage and expertise that only the Weather Channel can provide." While Verizon claimed it was a long-term business decision (instead of a carriage dispute) that it made, the Weather Channel launched a campaign, originally urging viewers to contact FiOS about restoring the cable channel and its services. But, seeing that Verizon is not planning on bringing the channel and its services back in the near future, the Weather Channel now urges its viewers to switch providers.


title: The Weather Channel

text: After a four-year absence and with the channel under ownership of Entertainment Studios, Verizon FiOS inked a new agreement to bring the Weather Channel back to its lineups on June 24, 2019. The channel has not yet returned to channel lineups within Frontier FiOS's customer footprint.


title: The Weather Channel

text: In the fall of 2012, the Weather Channel began to assign names to major winter storm systems. The channel's management stated the decision to start naming notable winter storms came as a way to more easily spread knowledge and raise awareness. By naming winter storms, TWC stated that the public would find it easier to follow storm information, social media will be able to refer to and discuss the storm, and people will have an easier time referring to the storm after it occurs. However, critics of the Weather Channel insist it is a way to further hype winter weather, especially on the heavily populated East Coast. Critics contend that (south of Boston), many other areas of the United States actually experience much more frequent and intense winter weather than the East Coast, but does not have as large of a media market.


title: The Weather Channel

text: The first winter storm to be named by TWC was a nor'easter that hit the East Coast of the United States in November 2012, which was named after the Greek goddess Athena. During the 2012–13 season, the Weather Channel named 27 winter storms (Athena, Brutus, Caesar, Draco, Euclid, Freyr, Gandolf, Helen, Iago, Jove, Khan, Luna, Magnus, Nemo, Orko, Plato, Q, Rocky, Saturn, Triton, Ukko, Virgil, Walda, Xerxes, Yogi, Zeus and Achilles). During the 2013–14 season, the Weather Channel named 26 winter storms (Atlas, Boreas, Cleon, Dion, Electra, Falco, Gemini, Hercules, Ion, Janus, Kronos, Leon, Maximus, Nika, Orion, Pax, Seneca, Titan, Ulysses, Vulcan, Wiley, Xenia, Yona and Zephyr). Multiple factors are taken into consideration when deciding whether to name a winter storm. This includes, but is not limited to, predicted snowfall and other precipitation, wind speeds, and the timing of the storm.


title: The Weather Channel

text: The Weather Channel has provided the criteria behind their decisions to name certain storms, in particular Athena, Brutus, Gandolf, Iago, Khan, Luna, Magnus, Nemo, Saturn, and Virgil.


title: The Weather Channel

text: In response, the National Weather Service announced on November 7, 2012, that it would not recognize the Weather Channel's names for winter storms, stating in a press release that it "does not use the name of winter storms in its products." Some commentators have suggested that naming winter storms may give them undue importance in the public eye by drawing parallels to official names given to tropical storms, which are significantly more severe and devastating than winter storms, by the National Weather Service. References to the names are generally limited on TWC-provided forecasts seen on NBC's news programs.


title: Second Battle of El Alamein

text: The Second Battle of El Alamein (23 October – 11 November 1942) was a battle of the Second World War that took place near the Egyptian railway halt of El Alamein. The First Battle of El Alamein and the Battle of Alam el Halfa had prevented the Axis from advancing further into Egypt.


title: Second Battle of El Alamein

text: In August 1942, General Claude Auchinleck had been relieved as Commander-in-Chief Middle East Command and his successor, Lieutenant-General William Gott was killed on his way to replace him as commander of the Eighth Army. Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery was appointed and led the Eighth Army offensive.


title: Second Battle of El Alamein

text: The British victory was the beginning of the end of the Western Desert Campaign, eliminating the Axis threat to Egypt, the Suez Canal and the Middle Eastern and Persian oil fields. The battle revived the morale of the Allies, being the first big success against the Axis since Operation Crusader in late 1941. The end of the battle coincided with the Allied invasion of French North Africa in Operation Torch on 8 November, which opened a second front in North Africa.


title: Second Battle of El Alamein

text: Panzer Army Africa (/, "Generalfeldmarschall" Erwin Rommel), composed of German and Italian tank and infantry units, had advanced into Egypt after its success at the Battle of Gazala (26 May – 21 June 1942). The Axis advance threatened British control of the Suez Canal, the Middle East and its oil resources. General Claude Auchinleck withdrew the Eighth Army to within of Alexandria where the Qattara Depression was south of El Alamein on the coast. The depression was impassable and meant that any attack had to be frontal; Axis attacks in the First Battle of El Alamein (1–27 July) had been defeated.


title: Second Battle of El Alamein

text: Eighth Army counter-attacks in July also failed, as the Axis forces dug in and regrouped. Auchinleck called off the attacks at the end of July to rebuild the army. In early August, the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill and General Sir Alan Brooke, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS), visited Cairo and replaced Auchinleck as Commander-in-chief Middle East Command with General Harold Alexander. Lieutenant-General William Gott was made commander of the Eighth Army but was killed when his transport aircraft was shot down by "Luftwaffe" fighters; Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery was flown from Britain to replace him.


title: Second Battle of El Alamein

text: Lacking reinforcements and depending on small, underdeveloped ports for supplies and aware of a huge Allied reinforcement operation for the Eighth Army, Rommel decided to attack first. The two armoured divisions of the "Afrika Korps" and the reconnaissance units of led the attack but were repulsed at the Alam el Halfa ridge and Point 102 on 30 August 1942, during the Battle of Alam el Halfa; the Axis forces retired to their start lines. The short front line and secure flanks favoured the defensive and Rommel had time to develop the Axis fortifications, sowing minefields with mines and miles of barbed wire. Alexander and Montgomery intended to establish a superiority of force sufficient to achieve a breakthrough and exploit it to destroy . Earlier in the Western Desert Campaign, neither side had been able to exploit a local victory sufficiently to defeat its opponent before it had withdrawn and transferred the problem of over-extended supply lines to the victor.


title: Second Battle of El Alamein

text: Up until June 1942 Rommel had been receiving detailed information about the strength and movement of British forces from reports sent to Washington by Colonel Bonner Fellers, the U.S. military attaché in Cairo. The American code had been stolen following a covert operation by Italian military intelligence at the American Embassy in Rome the previous year. Despite British concerns, the Americans continued to use the code until the end of June. Suspicion that the code was compromised was confirmed when the 9th Australian Division captured the German 621st Signal Battalion in July 1942.


title: Second Battle of El Alamein

text: The British gained the intelligence advantage because Ultra and local sources exposed the Axis order of battle, its supply position and intentions. A reorganisation of military intelligence in Africa in July had also improved the integration of information received from all sources and the speed of its dissemination. With rare exceptions, intelligence identified the supply ships destined for North Africa, their location or routing and in most cases their cargoes, allowing them to be attacked. By 25 October, was down to three days' supply of fuel, only two days' of which were east of Tobruk. Harry Hinsley, the official historian of British intelligence, wrote in 1981 that "The Panzer Army... did not possess the operational freedom of movement that was absolutely essential in consideration of the fact that the British offensive can be expected to start any day". Submarine and air transport somewhat eased the shortage of ammunition and by late October, there was sixteen days' supply at the front. After six more weeks, the Eighth Army was ready; and began the offensive against the and of the .


title: Second Battle of El Alamein

text: Montgomery's plan was for a main attack to the north of the line and a secondary attack to the south, involving XXX Corps (Lieutenant-General Oliver Leese) and XIII Corps (Lieutenant-General Brian Horrocks), while X Corps (Lieutenant-General Herbert Lumsden) was to exploit the success. With Operation Lightfoot, Montgomery intended to cut two corridors through the Axis minefields in the north. One corridor was to run south-west through the 2nd New Zealand Division sector towards the centre of Miteirya Ridge, while the second was to run west, passing north of the west end of the Miteirya Ridge across the 9th Australian and 51st (Highland) Division sectors. Tanks would then pass through and defeat the German armour. Diversions at Ruweisat Ridge in the centre and also the south of the line would keep the rest of the Axis forces from moving northwards. Montgomery expected a 12-day battle in three stages: the break-in, the dogfight and the final breaking of the enemy.


title: Second Battle of El Alamein

text: For the first night of the offensive, Montgomery planned for four infantry divisions of XXX Corps to advance on a front to the Oxalic Line, over-running the forward Axis defences. Engineers would clear and mark the two lanes through the minefields, through which the armoured divisions from X Corps would pass to gain the Pierson Line. They would rally and consolidate their position just west of the infantry positions, blocking an Axis tank counter-attack. The British tanks would then advance to "Skinflint", astride the north–south Rahman Track deep in the Axis defensive system, to challenge the Axis armour. The infantry battle would continue as the Eighth Army infantry "crumbled" the deep Axis defensive fortifications (three successive lines of fortification had been constructed) and destroy any tanks that attacked them.


title: Second Battle of El Alamein

text: Before the battle the Commonwealth forces practised deceptions, in Operation Bertram, to confuse the Axis command as to where and when the battle was to occur. In September, they dumped waste materials (discarded packing cases, etc.) under camouflage nets in the northern sector, making them appear to be ammunition or ration dumps. The Axis naturally noticed these but as no offensive action immediately followed and the "dumps" did not change in appearance, they were subsequently ignored. This allowed the Eighth Army to build up supplies in the forward area unnoticed by the Axis, by replacing the rubbish with ammunition, petrol and rations at night. A dummy pipeline was built, hopefully leading the Axis to believe the attack would occur much later than it did and much further south. Dummy tanks consisting of plywood frames placed over jeeps were built and deployed in the south. In a reverse feint, the tanks destined for battle in the north were disguised as supply trucks by placing removable plywood superstructures over them.


title: Second Battle of El Alamein

text: As a preliminary, the 131st (Queen's) Infantry Brigade of the 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division, supported by tanks from the 4th Armoured Brigade, launched Operation Braganza attacking the paratroopers of the 185th Paratroopers Division "Folgore" on the night of 29/30 September in an attempt to capture the Deir el Munassib area. The Italian paratroopers repelled the attack, killing or capturing over 300 of the attackers. It was wrongly assumed that "Fallschirmjäger" (German paratroopers) had manned the defences and been responsible for the British reverse. The "Afrika Korps" war diary notes that the Italian paratrooper unit "bore the brunt of the attack. It fought well and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy."


title: Second Battle of El Alamein

text: With the failure of the offensive at the Battle of Alam el Halfa, the Axis forces went onto the defensive but losses had not been excessive. The Axis supply line from Tripoli was extremely long and captured British supplies and equipment had been exhausted, but Rommel decided to advance into Egypt.


title: Second Battle of El Alamein

text: The Eighth Army was being supplied with men and materials from the United Kingdom, India, Australia and New Zealand, as well as with trucks and the new Sherman tanks from the United States. Rommel continued to request equipment, supplies and fuel but the priority of the German war effort was the Eastern Front and very limited supplies reached North Africa. Rommel was ill and in early September, arrangements were made for him to return to Germany on sick leave and for "General der Panzertruppe" Georg Stumme to transfer from the Russian front to take his place. Before he left for Germany on 23 September, Rommel organised the defence and wrote a long appreciation of the situation to "Oberkommando der Wehrmacht" (OKW armed forces high command), once again setting out the essential needs of the Panzer Army.


title: Second Battle of El Alamein

text: Rommel knew that the British and Commonwealth forces would soon be strong enough to attack. His only hope now relied on the German forces fighting in the Battle of Stalingrad quickly to defeat the Red Army, then move south through the Trans-Caucasus and threaten Iran (Persia) and the Middle East. If successful, large numbers of British and Commonwealth forces would have to be sent from the Egyptian front to reinforce the Ninth Army in Iran, leading to the postponement of any offensive against his army. Rommel hoped to convince OKW to reinforce his forces for the eventual link-up between and the German armies fighting in southern Russia, enabling them finally to defeat the British and Commonwealth armies in North Africa and the Middle East.


title: Second Battle of El Alamein

text: In the meantime, the dug in and waited for the attack by the Eighth Army or the defeat of the Red Army at Stalingrad. Rommel added depth to his defences by creating at least two belts of mines about apart, connected at intervals to create boxes (Devil's gardens) which would restrict enemy penetration and deprive British armour of room for manoeuvre. The front face of each box was lightly held by battle outposts and the rest of the box was unoccupied but sowed with mines and explosive traps and covered by enfilading fire. The main defensive positions were built to a depth of at least behind the second mine belt. The Axis laid around half a million mines, mostly Teller anti-tank mines with some smaller anti-personnel types (such as the S-mine). (Many of these mines were British and had been captured at Tobruk). To lure enemy vehicles into the minefields, the Italians dragged an axle and tyres through the fields using a long rope to create what appeared to be well-used tracks.


title: Second Battle of El Alamein

text: Rommel did not want the British armour to break out into the open because he had neither the strength of numbers nor fuel to match them in a battle of manoeuvre. The battle had to be fought in the fortified zones; a breakthrough had to be defeated quickly. Rommel stiffened his forward lines by alternating German and Italian infantry formations. Because the British deception confused the Axis as to the point of attack, Rommel departed from his usual practice of holding his armoured strength in a concentrated reserve and split it into a northern group (15th Panzer Division and 133rd Armoured Division "Littorio") and a southern group (21st Panzer Division and 132nd Armoured Division "Ariete"), each organised into battle groups to be able to make a quick armoured intervention wherever the blow fell and prevent narrow breakthroughs from being enlarged. A significant proportion of his armoured reserve was dispersed and held unusually far forward. The 15th Panzer Division had 125 operational tanks (16 Pz.IIs, 43 Pz.III Ausf H, 43 Pz.III Ausf J, 6 Pz.IV Ausf D, 15 Pz.IV Ausf F) while the 21st Panzer Division had 121 operational combat vehicles (12 Pz.IIs, 38 Pz.III Ausf H, 43 Pz.III Ausf J, 2 Pz.IV Ausf D, 15 Pz.IV Ausf F).


title: Second Battle of El Alamein

text: Rommel held the 90th Light Division further back and kept the 101st Motorised Division "Trieste" in reserve near the coast. Rommel hoped to move his troops faster than the Allies, to concentrate his defences at the most important point () but lack of fuel meant that once the had concentrated, it would not be able to move again because of lack of fuel. The British were well aware that Rommel would be unable to mount a defence based on his usual manoeuvre tactics but no clear picture emerged of how he would fight the battle and British plans seriously underestimated the Axis defences and the fighting power of the .


title: Second Battle of El Alamein

text: Prior to the main barrage, there was a diversion by the 24th Australian Brigade, which involved the 15th Panzer Division being subjected to heavy fire for a few minutes. Then at 21:40 (Egyptian Summer Time) on 23 October on a calm, clear evening under the bright sky of a full moon, Operation Lightfoot began with a 1,000-gun barrage. The fire plan had been arranged so that the first rounds from the 882 guns from the field and medium batteries would land along the front at the same time. After twenty minutes of general bombardment, the guns switched to precision targets in support of the advancing infantry. The shelling plan continued for five and a half hours, by the end of which each gun had fired about 600 rounds, about 529,000 shells.


title: Second Battle of El Alamein

text: Operation Lightfoot alluded to the infantry attacking first. Anti-tank mines would not be tripped by soldiers stepping on them since they were too light. As the infantry advanced, engineers had to clear a path for the tanks coming behind. Each gap was to be wide, which was just enough to get tanks through in single file. The engineers had to clear a route through the Devil's Gardens. It was a difficult task that was not achieved because of the depth of the Axis minefields.


title: Second Battle of El Alamein

text: At 22:00, the four infantry divisions of XXX Corps began to move. The objective was to establish a bridgehead before dawn at the imaginary line in the desert where the strongest enemy defences were situated, on the far side of the second mine belt. Once the infantry reached the first minefields, the mine sweepers, including Reconnaissance Corps troops and sappers, moved in to create a passage for the armoured divisions of X Corps. Progress was slower than planned but at 02:00, the first of the 500 tanks crawled forward. By 04:00, the lead tanks were in the minefields, where they stirred up so much dust that there was no visibility at all, traffic jams developed and tanks bogged down. Only about half of the infantry attained their objectives and none of the tanks broke through.


title: Second Battle of El Alamein

text: The 1st South African Division, on the left flank of XXX Corps, attacked on a two-brigade front to secure the southern end of Miteirya Ridge, with the 2nd South African Infantry Brigade on the right and the 3rd South African Infantry Brigade on the left. The 1st South African Infantry Brigade was deployed further south to create an anti-tank screen for the protection of the left flank of the attack. By 08:00 on 24 October, Miteirya Ridge was secured after a night of heavy fighting and a high number of casualties.


title: Second Battle of El Alamein

text: The 7th Armoured Division (with a Free French Brigade under command) from XIII Corps (Lieutenant-General Brian Horrocks) made a secondary attack to the south. The main attack aimed to achieve a breakthrough, engage and pin down the 21st Panzer Division and the "Ariete" Division around Jebel Kalakh, while the Free French on the far left were to secure Qaret el Himeimat and the el Taqa plateau. The right flank of the attack was to be protected by 44th Infantry Division with the 131st Infantry Brigade. The attack met determined resistance, mainly from the 185th Infantry Division "Folgore", part of the Ramcke Parachute Brigade and .