title: Clannad

text: In 1999, the group composed the song "What Will I Do" for the Kevin Costner film, "Message in a Bottle".


title: Clannad

text: After "Landmarks", Clannad ceased to make any more studio albums, but had promised to return in the near future. In 2003, they released the best of album, "", which is one of their biggest-selling albums to date.


title: Clannad

text: In 2005 the two Duggan twins, Noel and Pádraig, as the musical duo The Duggans, got together for the first time outside of Clannad and recorded the album "Rubicon".


title: Clannad

text: During the 2006 solo tour of Moya Brennan in The Netherlands, the concert in De Doelen, Rotterdam, was dedicated to Leo and Baba Brennan. The whole of Clannad, including former member Pól and sister Deirdre, performed five songs during the second half. The audience, Leo and Baba were unaware of the plan to bring Clannad on-stage, which resulted in multiple standing ovations from the audience.


title: Clannad

text: The five original members of Clannad appeared on stage together at the Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow on 19 January 2007. The concert was greeted by 2,000 fans who travelled from places such as the US and Brazil to see the legendary group perform some of the most loved songs in their history. While at the Meteor Ireland Music Awards that were held in Dublin on 1 February 2007 Clannad were presented with the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award.


title: Clannad

text: In March 2008, Clannad began their first UK tour in over 12 years, starting at The Sage in Gateshead. The tour culminated in a dozen dates, including concerts in Ireland and Thailand.


title: Clannad

text: In May 2008, Clannad's version of the traditional song "Down by the Salley Gardens" was featured in the listening paper for Music GCSE from the Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations exam board. On 25 August 2008, Clannad released a new compilation album of their early music to contrast the music of their previous compilation album at the beginning of 2008, "".


title: Clannad

text: In June 2009, Clannad was nominated for an IMA Award in the category "Best Revival Act", along with other revived bands Planxty, Moving Hearts, Arcady and Stockton's Wing.


title: Clannad

text: In January 2011, Clannad's concert at Christ Church Cathedral TempleBar TradFest in Dublin was extended by two nights due to fast ticket sales. The group appeared on RTÉ's "The Late Late Show" on 21 January 2011 performing the "Theme from Harry's Game" with choral group Anúna. It was their first appearance on the show in 14 years.


title: Clannad

text: On 18 June 2013, Clannad announced that their brand new studio album Nádúr (their first new album since the release of Landmarks in 1998) was to be released worldwide in September 2013. An international tour commenced in October 2013 starting in Australia and New Zealand.


title: Clannad

text: In 2019, Clannad embarked on their "In a Lifetime" farewell tour, but it was postponed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A new compilation album entitled, "In a Lifetime" which included two new tracks, was released.


title: Clannad

text: When Clannad first started out in the early 1970s their music and sound stemmed solely from their traditional background. Despite this they managed to popularise such old songs as "Dúlamán", "Teidhir Abhaile Riú" and "Coinleach Glas An Fhómhair", and these songs have remained popular numbers at their concerts. On the departure from their folk and traditional background in 1982, they created a new sound that would define the meaning of new-age and Celtic music forever. When "Theme from Harry's Game" and "Newgrange" were first heard, radio stations all over the world became fascinated by the earthly and spiritual sound that they had never encountered before. One critic said "the tunes were seeped in the old ways, but the production and the arrangement was fresh and inventive". This transition in Clannad's career is often seen as the birth of Celtic music, and to this day they are regarded as the pioneers of that genre. They are also noted for their melodious harmonies, which have been at the heart of their music since their first album. "Legend" (1984) was based on English folklore. With later albums, Clannad delved further into the realms of electronica and even pop. Due to this, many of their singles entered pop charts all over the world, and widened their fan base once again. Despite their success with this genre of music, the group managed to maintain a link with their Gaelic roots throughout their career, giving traditional Irish songs such as "Tráthnóna Beag Aréir" and "Buachaill Ón Éirne" the Clannad treatment.


title: Clannad

text: Even though the rock-infused "Sirius" and the pop-inclined "Macalla" were successful for Clannad, it was their breakthrough style that they created themselves that has left the greatest legacy. Clannad's influence can be found in the film "Titanic", where James Horner admitted to basing the soundtrack on Clannad's style. The soundtrack was so like Clannad's work that it has been incorrectly credited to them for many years. Clannad's 'Celtic mysticism' is a recurring theme in the film "Intermission". The "otherworldly" and "ethereal" Clannad sound comes from the ancient hills and glens that surround Gweedore, according to lead singer Moya Brennan. Traces of Clannad's legacy can be heard in the music of many artists, including Enya, Altan, Capercaillie, The Corrs, Loreena McKennitt, Anúna, Riverdance, Órla Fallon and even U2. Bono stated that Moya has "one of the greatest voices the human ear has ever experienced".


title: Clannad

text: A Japanese visual novel released in 2004, which spawned a 2007 film and a 2007–08 television series based on it, was named after the band because screenwriter Jun Maeda mistakenly believed it to mean the word "family" in Irish.


title: Clannad

text: The private life of lead member Moya was detailed in her autobiography in 2000. In it, Brennan recalls her upbringing as the eldest of nine siblings in rural County Donegal, Ireland. Along with the highs of success in the music business, she also recounts low periods where alcohol, drugs and an abortion made her re-evaluate her life. She emerged from dark years as a committed Christian with rekindled faith. She remarried in 1991 (having previously been married to a Dublin musician) and now resides in Dublin with her husband, photographer Tim Jarvis, and children, Aisling and Paul.


title: Clannad

text: The Brennans are Ireland's most successful music family, with combined sales of over 90 million records. Máire (or Baba) Duggan and Leo Brennan are the parents of the Brennan siblings Máire (or Moya), Leon, Ciarán, Deirdre, Pól, Olive, Eithne (or Enya), Bartley and Brídín. Baba was the local school's music teacher and Leo led the celebrated Slieve Foy show band. The catalyst that would propel the entire family onto the stage was the opening of Leo's Tavern in 1968 in Meenaleck, Co. Donegal.


title: Clannad

text: The other six children can all sing and play one or more instruments—Olive and Deirdre have sung on Moya's solo albums and Brídín, who for years toured with Clannad as a backing vocalist, has released a solo record, "Eyes of Innocence". Enya is also Ireland's best selling solo artist, earning international success.


title: Clannad

text: Máire 'Baba' Duggan is currently the lead member of the local Catholic choir, Cór Mhuire Doire Beaga, but no longer continues to teach in the local community school Pobalscoil Ghaoth Dobhair. The choir has been frequently joined by Leo Brennan and the Brennan siblings.


title: Clannad

text: Leo Brennan died on 22 June 2016 (age 90) at his home at Upper Dore, Gweedore in West Donegal, Ireland.


title: Clannad

text: Leon Brennan, one of the nine siblings of the Brennan family died in December 2021. Online announcements were made by his sisters Moya, and Enya, in a rare personal message on 17 December 2021.


title: Wild Weasel

text: Wild Weasel is a code name given by the United States Air Force (USAF) to an aircraft of any type equipped with anti-radiation missiles and tasked with the suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD): destroying the radar and surface-to-air missile (SAM) installations of enemy air defense systems. The task of a Wild Weasel aircraft is to bait enemy anti-aircraft defenses into targeting it with their radars, whereupon the radar waves are traced back to their source, allowing the Weasel or its teammates to precisely target it for destruction.


title: Wild Weasel

text: The Wild Weasel concept was developed by the USAF in 1965 during the Vietnam War after the introduction of Soviet SAMs and their downing of American strike aircraft participating in Operation Rolling Thunder in the skies over North Vietnam. The program was headed by General Kenneth Dempster.


title: Wild Weasel

text: "The first Wild Weasel success came soon after the first Wild Weasel mission 20 December 1965 when Captains Al Lamb and Jack Donovan took out a site during a Rolling Thunder strike on the railyard at Yen Bai, some 75 miles northwest of Hanoi."


title: Wild Weasel

text: Wild Weasel tactics and techniques were later adapted by other nations in subsequent conflicts, as well as being integrated into the suppression of enemy air defenses, a plan used by U.S. air forces to establish immediate air supremacy prior to possible full-scale conflict.


title: Wild Weasel

text: Initially known by the operational code "Iron Hand" when first authorized on 12 August 1965, the term "Wild Weasel" derives from Project Wild Weasel, the USAF development program for a dedicated SAM-detection and suppression aircraft. The technique was also called an "Iron Hand" mission, though technically this term referred only to the suppression attack before the main strike. Originally named "Project Ferret", denoting a predatory animal that goes into its prey's den to kill it (hence: ""to ferret out""), the name was changed to differentiate it from the code-name "Ferret" that had been used during World War II for radar countermeasures bombers.


title: Wild Weasel

text: The Wild Weasel concept was originally proposed in 1965 as a method of countering the increasing North Vietnamese SAM threat, using volunteer crews flying the two-seat F model of the F-100 Super Sabre; while the United States Navy primarily relied upon the A-4 Skyhawk. While an effective airframe, the F-100F Wild Weasel did not have the performance characteristics to survive in a high threat environment. The first Wild Weasel squadron was the 354th Tactical Fighter Squadron based at Takhli Royal Thai Air Base, Thailand. After 45 days of operations against North Vietnamese targets, the 354th had one airplane left and of the 16 aircrew members, four had been killed, two were prisoners of war, three had been wounded and two had quit.


title: Wild Weasel

text: The Wild Weasel II version was the first unsuccessful attempt to use the F-4C Phantom as a Wild Weasel platform. When that effort failed, the Wild Weasel role was then passed to the F-105F in the summer of 1966. The F-105F was converted for the role and was designated Wild Weasel III. The F-105F was equipped with more advanced radar, jamming equipment, and a heavier armament. Anti-radiation missiles were outfitted that could seek out radar emplacements. The F-105F Wild Weasel airframes were eventually modified with improved countermeasures components in a standardized configuration and designated the F-105G. The F-105G was also designated Wild Weasel III; 61 F-105F units were upgraded to F-105G specifications. Although in some documentation the F-105F was referred to as an EF-105F, that designation never existed in the operational flying squadrons.


title: Wild Weasel

text: The F-105 was no longer in production by 1964. With severe combat attrition of the F-105 inventory, the need for a more sophisticated aircraft resulted in the conversion of 36 F-4C Phantom II aircraft, designated F-4C Wild Weasel IV. The F-4C Wild Weasel IV also bore the unofficial designation of EF-4C.


title: Wild Weasel

text: The F-4E, the most advanced Phantom variant with extensive ground-attack capabilities and an internal gun, became the basis for the F-4G Wild Weasel V (also known as the Advanced Wild Weasel). This modification consisted of removing the gun and replacing it with the APR-38(t) Radar Homing and Warning Receiver (later upgraded to the APR-47), and a cockpit upgrade for the back seat to manage the electronic combat environment. A total of 134 F-4G models were converted from F-4Es with the first one flying in 1975. Squadron service began in 1978.


title: Wild Weasel

text: F-4Gs were deployed to three active wings. One was stationed at George AFB, Victorville, California, as part of the Rapid Deployment Force; one wing was assigned to USAFE (US Air Forces in Europe) at Spangdahlem AB, Germany; and the other to PACAF (Pacific Air Forces) at Clark AB, Philippines. F-4Gs from George AFB, Clark AB and Spangdahlem AB saw combat during "Operation Desert Storm" in 1991, successfully protecting strike packages from enemy air defenses. During this conflict the F-4G saw heavy use, with only a single loss: an aircraft from Spangdahlem AB crashed in Saudi Arabia while returning from a mission, after one of the AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missiles hang fired which left the aircraft's instruments not displaying the correct altitude information and a significant frame tweak from the damage made the plane hard to control. After an investigation into the loss of the aircraft which occurred during several aborted landing attempts in a sandstorm, it was determined that a fuel cell was punctured by anti-aircraft fire. The pilot and EWO safely ejected after the engines shut down when the aircraft ran out of fuel attempting to land at a forward airstrip.


title: Wild Weasel

text: After "Desert Storm", some of the George AFB aircraft were assigned to the 124th Wing of the Air National Guard at Boise, Idaho, 190th Fighter Squadron. Aircraft from Spangdahlem, Clark, and the remainder from George were assigned to the 561st Fighter Squadron, 57th Fighter Wing (Active Duty) at Nellis AFB, Las Vegas. The aircraft remained in service until 1996, with both squadrons participating in frequent deployments to Saudi Arabia and Turkey in support of Operation Provide Comfort, Operation Southern Watch, and Operation Vigilant Warrior enforcing the no-fly zones over Iraq. By this time the F-4G was the last operational variant of the Phantom II in the US forces. Many of the airframes were later used as target drones and Aircraft Battle Damage Repair training aids.


title: Wild Weasel

text: A change in aircraft design theory to stress versatile multi-role aircraft meant that the F-4G Phantom was the last aircraft in the USAF inventory specifically outfitted for the SEAD role. The Wild Weasel mission is now assigned to the F-16 Fighting Falcon, using the Block 50 and Block 52, with production beginning in 1991. The single-seat Block 50/52 F-16C is specifically tasked with this mission and aircraft modified for this mission are designated F-16CJ/DJ. The pilot now performs both the role of flying the airplane and targeting and employing against ground threats. Other aircraft, while capable of engaging anti-air emplacements, are typically tasked with other primary missions; the A-10 Thunderbolt II "Warthog", primarily tasked with CAS missions, lacks the avionics to perform a true SEAD mission and does not carry the AGM-88 HARM. The F-15E Strike Eagle, possessing advanced air-to-ground avionics but also high speed and long range, is typically tasked with "deep strike" missions, which can include SAM installations but typically focuses on high-value targets such as enemy command & control, infrastructure and production, and likewise does not carry HARM.


title: Wild Weasel

text: The Tornado ECR variant is dedicated to SEAD missions and is currently operated by the German Air Force and Italian Air Force. The Royal Air Force used the GR4 variant to conduct similar missions utilising the ALARM missile, though they were mainly used in the interdiction/CAS role. The RAF retired the ALARM missile in 2013 and retired the Tornado in 2019.


title: Wild Weasel

text: The F-35 Lightning II is slated to gradually replace these aircraft for various air-to-ground roles, including SEAD, beginning with its introduction in 2016. Its stealth capabilities promise a significant increase in effectiveness against air-defence radars, though to maintain its lowest radar signature, its payload capacity would be limited to the internal weapons bays, reducing the number of missile site attacks per sortie. However, it can carry more or larger air to ground weapons internally than even the F-22 and is more advanced in a ground attack capacity, potentially making it the best manned aircraft for destroying sophisticated enemy air defenses. Additionally, the AARGM-ER, itself an evolution of the AGM-88 HARM, is being integrated into all three variants of the F-35. The F-35A and F-35C will have the ability to carry the AARGM-ER internally, while the F-35B will only be able to carry the missile externally owing to its smaller internal weapons bays.


title: Wild Weasel

text: In 1966 over North Vietnam, Wild Weasel flights of four aircraft sometimes were led by a single F-105F/G two-seat aircraft (aided by its Electronic Warfare Officer (EWO) with his electronic receivers and analyzers) plus three F-105Ds. Sometimes two "F"s, each with a "D" wingman, operated independently.


title: Wild Weasel

text: The Wild Weasel mission was to precede strike flights, clearing the target area of radar guided Surface-to-Air Missile threats (predominantly SA-2 'Guideline' systems), leaving the threat area last, which sometimes would result in 3.5-hour missions, before returning to Royal Thai Air Force Bases. This was achieved by turning toward the air defense site in a threatening manner, firing radar homing missiles at the site, or visually locating the site to dive bomb it. These tactics were attempted while under attack by MiGs and anti-aircraft artillery.


title: Wild Weasel

text: The F-105F did not use radar jamming devices since its purpose was to provide a decoy target, protecting the strike flights, and encouraging SAM launches that generated enough bright smoke to make possible seeing the SAM site for immediate dive bombing attack. With multiple incoming missiles in visual sight it was possible to dive abruptly or sharply break to avoid them. Failure to see the missiles approaching at three times fighter cruise speed would result in the destruction of the aircraft and failure of the mission.


title: Wild Weasel

text: Vietnam War tactics of using "Hunter-Killer" teams, where an F-4G Wild Weasel would be teamed with one or more conventional F-4E Phantoms, were improved upon with the newer equipment. The Wild Weasel would destroy missile radar emitters, clearing the way for the F-4E's to destroy the rest of the missile site using cluster munitions.


title: Wild Weasel

text: A tactic used during Operation Desert Storm was known as ""Here, kitty kitty"", wherein one Weasel would get the attention of a SAM or anti-aircraft artillery site while other Weasels would then sneak up behind the site and destroy it.


title: Wild Weasel

text: In one of the Wild Weasel concept's most famous uses in military operations, five F-105Gs, using the call-signs "Firebird 01–05", provided support for the Son Tay P.O.W. Rescue Mission, which was conducted in the early morning hours of 21 November 1970. One of these aircraft was shot down by an SA-2 surface-to-air missile, but its crew ejected safely and was rescued by the HH-53 "Super Jolly" helicopters that also participated in the raid. None of the aircraft of the raiding force protected by Wild Weasels was lost to enemy action.


title: Wild Weasel

text: The unofficial motto of the Wild Weasel crews is YGBSM: "You Gotta Be Shittin' Me". This appears prominently on the logo patch of some squadrons. As the story goes, this was the response of Jack Donovan, a former B-52 EWO (Electronic Warfare Officer):


title: Wild Weasel

text: This was the natural response of an educated man, a veteran EWO on B-52s and the like, upon learning that he was to fly back seat to a self-absorbed fighter pilot while acting as flypaper for enemy SAMs.


title: Wild Weasel

text: His exact words were: "I'm gonna fly with you, and we're gonna shoot a SAM site before it shoots us? You gotta be shittin' me!"


title: Wild Weasel

text: The "WW" tailcode of the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing and the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing derives from their Wild Weasel heritage.


title: Dead Space 3

text: Dead Space 3 is a 2013 survival horror action video game developed by Visceral Games and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is the third and final main entry in the "Dead Space" series. The game's story follows player-character Isaac Clarke and his allies as they explore the frozen planet Tau Volantis to discover the origins of the growing threat from their enemies the Necromorphs. Players control Isaac and explore the environment, solve puzzles, and find resources while fighting Necromorphs and hostile humans called Unitologists. The game supports online cooperative multiplayer sessions in which a second player takes the role of new character John Carver.


title: Dead Space 3

text: Production of the game began in 2011 after the release of "Dead Space 2"; the sequel was initially planned as a horror-focused experience but demands from Electronic Arts resulted in the introduction of action elements, the de-emphasis of horror themes, and the introduction of microtransactions. The gameplay was adjusted based on the new setting, and the story was written to close out the series and explain the remaining mysteries of the Necromorphs. Composers Jason Graves and James Hannigan wrote the game's score. A downloadable content (DLC) episode subtitled "Awakened" was released in March 2013; it was developed with more focus on horror elements.


title: Dead Space 3

text: "Dead Space 3" was promoted with additional media, including a graphic novel called "". Critics gave the game a generally positive reception, praising to its atmosphere and gameplay, but critics and players questioning its shift towards action. "Awakened" gained a mixed reception; its plot holes and shortness were criticized. "Dead Space 3" peaked high in sales charts but sold fewer copies than the publisher had expected so plans for a sequel were abandoned, the development team was disbanded, and Visceral Games closed in 2017. The series remained dormant until a remake of the first "Dead Space" game was announced in 2021.


title: Dead Space 3

text: "Dead Space 3" is a science-fiction-themed survival horror action video game. Players control lead character Isaac Clarke from a third-person perspective through a level-based narrative campaign. Players navigate a variety of environments—mostly on the ice-covered planet Tau Volantis—completing narrative-based missions, solving physics-based puzzles in the environment, and fighting monsters called Necromorphs. In addition to standard movement, Isaac can climb some ladders to reach high platforms and rappel up and down some vertical slopes with accompanying controls for sideways movements and dodging environmental threats. During some sections, Isaac can explore outer space but has a limited supply of air. Some areas are subject to weightlessness, with Isaac using his RIG suit to explore debris and spacecraft.


title: Dead Space 3

text: While exploring, Isaac can break crates using his melee attack or a stomp action. The Kinesis ability can move or pull objects and the Stasis ability slows a target's movement for a limited time. As with previous "Dead Space" games, almost all gameplay displays show in-game as diegetic holographic projections; the exception is the interface for a crafting bench. Isaac's health and energy meters are shown on the back of his RIG suit, ammunition counts are shown on the weapons, and opening the inventory screen does not pause the game.


title: Dead Space 3

text: Isaac must fight several types of Necromorphs that emerge from the environment; he also encounters human enemies, and occasional three-way battles between Isaac, Necromorphs, and human soldiers occur. Isaac can use two weapons to combat the Necromorphs, which can only be killed by severing their limbs, a method called strategic dismemberment. In addition to standard movement-based combat, Isaac can move into cover behind some objects such as box piles. All weapons draw from a pool of universal ammunition. Some items such as health, weapons, and ammunition can be found in the environment, and additional items and customized weapons are created using crafting benches that are found during the campaign. Weapons are crafted using blueprints and can be customized with multiple firing types, melee counter enhancements, and buffs to enhance damage. Crafting resources are found in the environment; these are retrieved using a scavenger robot and are collected with ammunition from defeated enemies. Resources can also purchased with real money in microtransactions using the bench interface.


title: Dead Space 3

text: Alongside the single-player mode, a second player can take on the role of secondary protagonist John Carver in online cooperative (co-op) multiplayer mode. The co-op game is opened from the main menu, from which the host player can invite a friend or create an open invitation for any player to drop into a session. While leaving the story mostly unchanged, co-op mode adjusts the game's puzzles, and unlocks co-op-exclusive side missions and cutscenes related to Carver. A central part of the co-op campaign is "asymmetrical dementia", in which players experience different hallucinations. The Xbox 360 version incorporates the Kinect peripheral, with which players can use voice commands to communicate and activate abilities such as stasis. Beating the game unlocks New Game Plus, allowing players to carry over weapons and armor, and additional gameplay modes. "Classic" mode removes crafting and plays similarly to earlier games. "Pure Survival" has enemies but no resources, enforcing health-and-ammunition management and focusing on crafting. "Hardcore" introduces permadeath, in which Isaac has only one life; his death forces the player to restart the game from the beginning of the campaign.


title: Dead Space 3

text: "Dead Space 3" is set in the 26th century. In the backstory, resource-starved humanity experimented with an alien artifact called the Black Marker, which triggered dementia and mental illness, and changed corpses into monsters called Necromorphs. During the initial outbreak, a new religion called the Church of Unitology, which worshipped the Marker as a divine force that would lead humanity to a unified state dubbed "Convergence", arose. Later experiments with copies known as Red Markers led to the same result, prompting the Earth Government (EarthGov) to hide the Red Markers. The Marker incidents are revived when the mining ship USG "Ishimura" discovers one on the planet Aegis VII. In the present, the Markers are attacking humanity; while EarthGov tries to contain the crisis and exploit the Markers for their energy, the Church of Unitology works to spread the Markers' influence.


title: Dead Space 3

text: The main protagonist of "Dead Space 3" is Isaac Clarke, an engineer who survived the "Ishimura" incident, resultant torture by EarthGov for the Marker blueprints in his mind, a subsequent outbreak on the Titan-based space-station "Sprawl", and mental illness triggered by the Markers. The secondary protagonist is John Carver, an EarthGov soldier who survived a Necromorph outbreak that killed his family. Other characters include Ellie Langford, a pilot and Isaac's ex-girlfriend; Robert Norton, an EarthGov officer and Ellie's new boyfriend; Jacob Danik, terrorist leader of a militant Unitologist group called the Circle; and Marker researchers Jennifer Santos and Austin Buckell.


title: Dead Space 3

text: Two centuries ago, a military team on the frozen planet Tau Volantis retrieves an artifact called the Codex; the team's commander kills his remaining subordinate, erases data on the Codex, and commits suicide. In the present, Isaac is hiding in a colony on Earth's moon when Carver and Norton forcibly recruit him to help them find Ellie, escaping a Necromorph outbreak triggered by Danik and the Circle. Ellie's location is traced to Tau Volantis, which is assumed to be the Marker home world. Isaac, Carver, Norton, Santos, and Buckell travel to Tau Volantis's moon; they rescue Ellie and investigate the orbiting derelict ship "Terra Nova", discovering evidence of past research on the Necromorphs and the recurring phrase "Turn it off". They crash-land on Tau Volantis, and Isaac and Carver separate from the rest of the crew. Isaac and Carver find Buckell shortly before he dies from his wounds and hypothermia. After reuniting, the survivors set off in search of a key called "Rosetta"; they are pursued by Danik and the Circle, who followed them to Tau Volantis. Norton betrays the group to the Circle, hoping to safely return to Earth with Ellie; Danik betrays Norton who is then killed by Isaac in self-defense. Santos later dies during another Necromorph attack.


title: Dead Space 3

text: "Rosetta" is revealed to be a cryogenically frozen alien who is native to Tau Volantis, whose population was another victim of the Necromorph infection. Isaac experiences a vision that reveals the Markers influence evolution and perpetuate the Necromorph life cycle. As a last resort before being overwhelmed, the aliens created a machine that sent the planet's moon−in reality a giant, intelligent Necromorph hivemind−into hibernation by freezing the entire planet; the message "Turn it off" came from the Markers so the moon can awaken and summon more of their species to consume all life in the universe. "Rosetta" was used by Tau Volantis' first research expedition to create the Codex, a DNA key that can control the machine. Danik captures Ellie and threatens to kill her, forcing Isaac and Carver to give him the Codex in exchange. Danik deactivates the machine, reviving the moon and triggering Convergence—the absorption of all organic matter on Tau Volantis to empower the moon. Danik dies in the resulting destruction. After sending Ellie away, Isaac and Carver reach the machine and reactivate it, which kills the moon and apparently them. With the Marker signal gone, a saddened Ellie returns to Earth.


title: Dead Space 3

text: In "Awakened", the still-living Isaac and Carver try to escape Tau Volantis, facing more Necromorphs and suffering from severe hallucinations. Through one of these, Isaac learns the other moons were awoken and are searching for Earth. Isaac and Carver use a Circle shuttle to reach the "Terra Nova" to find a lightspeed drive and warn Earth, and they confront a cult of insane Circle survivors. The moons invade Isaac's mind and reveal to him they always knew Earth's location, and were stalling him and Carver. After killing the cultists, Isaac and Carver return to Earth on the shuttle but find it under attack by the moons. They crash into an approaching moon, leaving their fates unknown.


title: Dead Space 3

text: Following the release of "Dead Space 2", the team of developers at studio Visceral Games found sales were similar to those of the first game but the production budget had increased. A 2012 report showed "Dead Space 3" was almost canceled following the poor sales of "Dead Space 2", which disappointed publisher Electronic Arts. The team felt the need to incorporate more mainstream elements into the series. The game's director was Ben Wanat, who had worked on the series as a designer of the Necromorphs and as a writer of the series' background lore. David Woldman was senior producer. After the increased action focus of "Dead Space 2", Wanat wanted to return to survival-horror elements with the crafting system that was originally designed to emphasize Isaac's engineering background. To broaden the third game's appeal, the developers altered the game's genre by incorporating action elements, though there was an effort to keep the horror elements the series was known for. Antony Johnston, who had written for the original game and its related media, said the decision was indicative of the team's wishes and a "necessary evil" to increase sales.


title: Dead Space 3

text: The game's production was troubled; during a franchise review, the developers received multiple requests from Electronic Arts, whose priority was to increase sales by following then-current gaming trends, leading to clashes with the production team's wishes for the game, including the simplification of the final crafting system and the contentious introduction of microtransactions, which the team did not want. The shift was part of Electronic Arts' refocusing of marketing and resources on established franchises with strong sales figures, contrasting with their earlier experiments with new game ideas like "Dead Space". Microtransactions were kept optional with unlimited resource mining using a remote device and yielding the same items that could be purchased; at release, players assumed this feature was a glitch. When production finished, some of the team remained to complete work on the DLC episode "Awakened" while the rest dispersed to work on other Electronic Arts franchise projects.


title: Dead Space 3

text: Executive producer Papoutsis stated the team wanted to make a game that was superior in quality to "Dead Space 2". The game was first developed for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, then ported to Microsoft Windows, resulting in limited graphical options for Windows. According to Papoutsis, the team wanted the game experience to be similar across all platforms. When asked whether a Wii U version was being considered, Papoutsis said the platform was wrong for the "Dead Space" series at that point. For the Xbox 360 version, the team implemented Kinect functionality into the co-op mode. The team had worked with other motion-control-based systems in the series but had never worked with Kinect. They used only voice-based commands because they felt gestures would disrupt the established gameplay feel. The game engine, which was carried over from earlier games in the series, had to be adjusted for larger environments. Real-time depth-of-field adjustment and more-realistic reflections and light behavior were new technical additions. The team tried preserve the diegetic UI design but had to break this rule and create a more-conventional, full-screen UI display for the crafting bench; an early version that showed Isaac working over the desk with displays around him was deemed unusable.


title: Dead Space 3

text: Electronic Arts had repeatedly raised the possibility of including a multiplayer mode to broaden the series' appeal; it was dropped from the first game for design and budget reasons while "Dead Space 2" includes it as a separate competitive mode. Fans of the series had also requested the inclusion of a cooperative mode. For "Dead Space 3", the team agreed to include cooperative multiplayer from the outset and "do it properly". The original proposal was to have a hallucinatory "Shadow Isaac" who would appear to be like another character, playing into early story concepts surrounding Isaac's mental state, but Electronic Arts prompted the team to make a more traditional co-op mode without the horror elements. Story producer Chuck Beaver said after the game's release, the switch from single-player to including co-op happened in the middle of the game's production. The tuning and balance of gameplay and enemies needed to be adjusted to account for the co-op element; some sections were made co-op exclusive with unique story elements. There were also adjustments to the enemy artificial intelligence (AI) and spawning rates are unique to the co-op mode.


title: Dead Space 3

text: The new setting Tau Volantis allowed the team to experiment with obscuring visibility with sudden blizzards, combining it with the sound design to create a different type of tension than previous entries. Woldman compared the design of levels to a roller coaster, with moments of high action and tension between periods of rest. The game's environments were made more open rather than the enclosed settings of earlier games to prompt players to use different tactics when dealing with enemies. The vertical environmental design also meant rappelling could be incorporated. The Flotilla, a zero-gravity section, was designed with "some pretty wild setups" that had to be reduced in intensity or cut from the final version. The Flotilla allowed the team to incorporate more traditional, closed environments like those in the first two "Dead Space" games. From December 2011, the team focused on tuning controls and the weapon-upgrade system, increasing the speed of Isaac's movements from "Dead Space 2" to match the new human enemies. The in-game currency Credits was removed to focus players on the crafting system. The team also wanted to minimize backtracking, which had been used and criticized in the original game and reduced in "Dead Space 2". Where it did happen, the environment and gameplay design were changed to provide something new.


title: Dead Space 3

text: When Wanat became director, he wanted to place more focus on story than had the earlier games. As the team suspected, it would be the final game in the series, and thay decided to conclude the overall narrative. Wanat said he "shoehorned in" a lot of story to close the series. The cliffhanger ending of "Awakened" left the series open for a possible continuation. The team had written a backstory for the "Dead Space" universe, and beginning with "Dead Space 2" had started making a cohesive narrative involving these elements. Feedback from players wanting explanations for the Markers prompted a focus on their origins and the creation of the Necromorphs. Speaking about the pacing, Wanat said he wanted to give players breathing space and to pace the horror elements. Beaver was involved with the series from the beginning. The story and script were a collaborative effort between Beaver, Wanat, and in-house writer Jay Turner. Another writer on the project during 2011 was novellist Cherie Priest, who appreciated the experience but was uninterested in working again with Electronic Arts.


title: Dead Space 3

text: The early narrative would have exlored Isaac's mental state, focusing on the Shadow Isaac companion; hallucinations would play a part in gameplay and player interaction. The finale would be adjusted around Shadow Isaac, both in both single-player and co-op modes. Shadow Issac was scrapped because Electronic Arts wanted the team to avoid psychosis and dementia as central themes. The shift to incorporating co-op required story rewrites and presented problems during story presentation; Carver vanished from scenes in which he did not appear with Isaac. While the final narrative kept elements of psychological horror, the focus shifted to the characters surviving the environment of Tau Volantis. The narrative, which reveals the Necromorphs' involvement in human evolution, references the work of Erich von Däniken. The Necromorph Moon is a reference to the Great Old Ones created by H. P. Lovecraft, whose work had been an influence on the series since its inception.


title: Dead Space 3

text: As with the rest of the series, Isaac is portrayed as a reluctant participant in events. The character Carver emerged after Shadow Isaac was scrapped; the request was for a soldier-type character that was then common in mainstream gaming. Carver was constructed "as his own man" with personal issues that make him vulnerable to the Markers. His behavior and role were intended to contrast with Isaac's experience with the Markers. The co-op storylines allow players to get to know Carver as a character. During early design concepts, Wanat wanted Carver to be "a monster inside and out"; Wanat sketched Carver with ugly facial scarring that was retained in a reduced form. The hallucination elements relating to Carver's role in the co-op gameplay were retained in a limited form in the final game but time-and-budget constraints limited their incorporation. The militant Unitologist faction emerged from the team's desire to include a human-enemy faction for Isaac to fight alongside the Necromorphs.


title: Dead Space 3

text: The game's art director was Alex Muscat, who was senior environmental artist on "Dead Space 2". Previous lead series artist Ian Milham left the team after pre-production was completed. Speaking about the art design, Muscat said there were several key elements retained for the game, including its science-fiction setting, feelings of fear and loneliness, and the presence of disturbing elements. Without changing much of the world design, Muscat added more color to environments and lowered the light contrast. There were also color changes to reinforce situations, giving more variety to environments. Patrick O’Keefe created the concept art and designed Tau Volantis to make players exploring it seem insignificant and small. Tau Volantis drew inspiration from John Carpenter's movie "The Thing" and other sources. The environmental design for the human-made ruins on Tau Volantis was intended to appear less high-technology with devices and character outfits that are inspire by pre-digital machinery and safety equipment. The team referenced vintage photographs of expeditions to Antarctica and contemporaneous scientific outposts in Alaska to give these environments a familiar feeling. The ice formations were given a serrated appearance to look as though they might cut the player, making the environment threatening and referencing recurring visual motifs within the series. The alien city was created as a homage to the spaceship in "Alien", using circles as a recurring visual and design motif.


title: Dead Space 3

text: Isaac's design was kept consistent with earlier designs in the series; his suit design and choice of weaponry had become iconic. The character's suit was redesigned to fit in with the cold environment; a fur-collared version was chosen because the team liked it more than the other options. The humanoid Necromorphs were redesigned to appear more horrifying; and some had specific inspirations—the Feeders were recycled from one of the original game's early concepts using re-animated mummies, and the Infectors are homages of the monsters of "Alien" and "The Thing". The team researched frozen mummies from lost polar expeditions to accurately design the enemies. The alien Necromorph designs for Tau Volantis, which was originally an ocean planet and used a non-human species, drew inspiration from illustrations of aquatic life by Ernst Haeckel. Their design was allowed to be less realistic and potentially more horror-themed; it is also a homage to early concept designs for the original "Dead Space". The Moon incorporates features from squids and jellyfish.


title: Dead Space 3

text: The "Dead Space" series is known and noted for its audio design. Calhoun wanted to expand upon the use of sound to create tension and scare players. Sound elements were recorded in-house; the team used voice and audio samples to create disturbing sounds in the environment, for example, they shook dry teabags to create a dry, crunchy sound for one type of enemy. Many of the new Necromorph sounds were provided by the development team. Gunner Wright provided voice and motion capture for Isaac, describing the part in "Dead Space 3" as fun to perform. Carver was voiced and motion-captured by Ricardo Antonio Chavira. Sonita Henry voiced Ellie while new characters Robert Norton and Jacob Danik were played by Robert Gant and Simon Templeman, respectively.


title: Dead Space 3

text: Jason Graves, composer for much of the "Dead Space" franchise, returned to work on "Dead Space 3", creating the score with newcomer James Hannigan. Mirroring the shift towards action in the gameplay, the music shifted to be more action-oriented, though Graves wanted to keep themes and motifs from earlier games. Hannigan's pieces focused on narrative movement; consciously avoided Graves's established style. The zero-gravity environments, while generally realistic, use small musical cues to emphasize action elements. Graves and Hannigan mostly worked on different areas of the music, and focused on specific chapters, but both of their compositions feature in some sections of the game.


title: Dead Space 3

text: Rumors about the game's developed emerged during 2011 and 2012. A later leak revealed some of the gameplay concepts, including elements such as Shadow Isaac that were ultimately cut. The game was officially revealed at E3 2012 in June. A trailer focusing on the co-op and action elements was produced, leading fans to become worried about the direction the game was taking and prompting Wanat to reassure fans it would retain horror elements. A demo was launched on January 22, 2013, through PlayStation Network and Xbox Live, reaching two million downloads by February 3. Players with "Dead Space 2" save data gained early access to a powerful version of the Plasma Cutter weapon. Players with save data from "Mass Effect 3" could unlock a RIG suit that is themed on the N7 armor of "Mass Effect" protagonist Commander Shepard.


title: Dead Space 3

text: "Dead Space 3" was released worldwide during February 2013; it released in North America on February 5, Australia on February 7, Europe on February 8, and in Japan February 14. The launch trailer featured Wright portraying Isaac in live-action. Customers who pre-ordered the PC version were also provided with a copy of "Dead Space". The PC version was originally exclusive to Electronic Arts' Origin platform but on June 18, 2020, it was released on rival platform Steam. Alongside the standard version, a limited edition that gave players early access to two powerful RIG suits and associated weapons was released. Electronic Arts collaborated with Treehouse Brand Stores to create a special edition of the game that was called the Dev Team Edition and includes promotional and behind-the-scenes material created by staff members, an art book, themed postcards and posters, a water bottle designed after the game's health packs, and a Marker statue. Two versions were created for the standard and limited editions.


title: Dead Space 3

text: Two pieces of printed media—the novel "Dead Space: Catalyst" and the graphic novel ""—were created to promote "Dead Space 3"; forming part of the "trans-media franchise" approach Electronic Arts had adopted for the "Dead Space" series. "Catalyst", which was written by B. K. Evenson and released on October 2, 2012, by Tor Books, is set during the period of EarthGov's experimentation on the Markers. "Liberation", which was written by Ian Edginton and illustrated by Christopher Shy, was released on February 5, 2013, by Titan Books, and focuses on Carver's first contact with the Necromorphs and his involvement with Ellie's search for Tau Volantis.


title: Dead Space 3

text: At launch, multiple DLC items were sold separately from the microtransaction systems, and tied into the crafting and upgrade systems. The DLC covered upgrades to the scavenger robot, and new suits and armor. There was also an online pass to allow used copies to access online play. Papoutsis hinted on story-based DLC in January 2013. A story-based DLC expansion subtitled "Awakened" was released worldwide on March 12. Following the completion of "Dead Space 3" some months before release, production began on the DLC. "Awakened" was produced by a small, separate team who worked on their own ideas with their own budget and resource allocation. The DLC's producer Shereif Fattouh said the concept for a fear-based experience had been in place for some time and was not influenced by any feedback about the main game.


title: Dead Space 3

text: On review aggregate website "Metacritic", the Xbox 360 and Windows version scored 78 points out of 100 based on 68 and 16 reviews respectively, while the PS3 version scored 76 based on 37 reviews. During the 2013 National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers Awards, "Dead Space 3" was nominated in the categories "Animation, Interactive"; "Direction in a Game Cinema"; "Sound Effects"; and "Use of Sound, Franchise". Upon its release, "Dead Space 3" received generally positive reviews from critics, many of whom praised its gameplay, crafting system, and graphics. A common criticism was the move from survival-horror toward action, which many felt weakened the experience. Fan reaction was also mixed on the change to an action-heavy experience, both before and after release.


title: Dead Space 3

text: Tim Turi of "Game Informer" and Arthur Gies of "Polygon" were positive about the game, saying the incorporation of action benefited the series without diluting its horror and aesthetic, and praising the co-op mode as an unobtrusive addition. Shaun McInnis of "GameSpot", while calling its story convoluted, praised its atmospheric presentation and gameplay additions. Nathan Ditum of "PC Gamer" praised the game's tone and co-op elements, though he noted pacing issues due to its size and the disjointed nature of its chapters; he also said the game is a natural evolution of the series and still carries key elements of the "Dead Space" series. "Joystiq"s Ludwig Kietzmann called "Dead Space 3" "an exciting, shocking and mammoth adventure", praising its integration of action elements and co-op mode, and lauded its space sections as some of the best parts of the game. "Computer and Video Games"s Matthew Pellett praised the mechanics, highlighting some early co-op sections and enemy designs for their use of horror but said several elements, including changes to ammunition and a lack of variety, were detrimental, and that the game "[wasn't] "Dead Space" anymore".


title: Dead Space 3

text: "Edge Magazine" lauded "Dead Space 3" immersion and outer-space section but said the campaign is too long and the storyline of saving humanity lets down the narrative. "Electronic Gaming Monthly"s Ray Carsillo praised the presentation and storyline but said the mechanics are generic and noted a lack of horror compared with earlier games in the series. Carsillo also said the microtransactions are an unwelcome addition to the game. "IGN"s Casey Lynch spoke negatively about the game's story and mission structure but said the gameplay in both single-player and co-op is enjoyable enough to allow players to overlook any problems. Dan Whitehead writing for "Eurogamer" summed up the game as having many contradictory parts ranging from polished and well-designed to clumsy or unoriginal, calling it a game for newcomers rather than series fans.


title: Dead Space 3

text: Ryan Stevens of "GameTrailers" enjoyed the co-op gameplay and noted the outer-space sections as a highlight but disliked the story and characters, and criticized the microtransactions. Joel Gregory of "PlayStation Official Magazine UK", while enjoying the gameplay, noted a loss of elements that make earlier "Dead Space" games stand out, and that the recycling of elements caused a loss of scariness. Edwin Evans-Thirlwell writing for "Official Xbox Magazine UK" praised the crafting and co-op integration, but wrote negatively about the story and repetitive gameplay elements. "VideoGamer.com" was less enthusiastic than other reviewers, faulting a lack of originality and faulting the quality of both action and horror elements.


title: Dead Space 3

text: Critics gave "Awakened" a mixed reception. Lynch called it the best part of "Dead Space 3" due to its focus on Isaac's mental state; he, however, criticized its status as DLC rather than being part of the main game. Carsillo praised the DLC's psychological elements but faulted its plot and lack of new environments. Evans-Thirlwell enjoyed it as an extension of the game experience but criticized its recycling of game assets. McInnis enjoyed the new cult enemies but generally faulted it for a lack of new elements in environments and combat. Richard Mitchell writing for "Joystiq" enjoyed the expansions to the lore but noted the DLC's lack of new gameplay elements made it a hard sell. Whitehead summed up the DLC as "short and insulting", saying its only redeeming element is the sound gameplay carried over from the main game, and calling it otherwise unenjoyable given its price. Plot holes surrounding the protagonists' fates and the DLC's short length were generally criticized.


title: Dead Space 3

text: In the United States, "Dead Space 3" was the top-selling game in February 2013, according to the NPD Group. It sold 605,000 copies in North America during its debut month. In the first week of sales in the United Kingdom, "Dead Space 3" peaked at number one on sales charts but sales were more than 20% less than those of "Dead Space 2". Both "Dead Space 3" and "Crysis 3", which were released in the same month, failed to meet Electronic Arts' sales expectations though no sales figures for either game were released.


title: Dead Space 3

text: Prior to "Dead Space 3" release, a report indicated Electronic Arts wanted to move the series away from the survival-horror genre once the "Dead Space" trilogy was complete. During production of "Dead Space 3", the team created story and gameplay concepts for the next game, which would have focused on the protagonist scavenging to survive as humanity neared extinction; Wanat envisioned the protagonist as Ellie rather than Isaac. The gameplay would have expanded upon the open, brief, zero-gravity sections in "Dead Space 3", redesigned the Necromorphs to work in zero-gravity environments, reworked the crafting system, and incorporated a variety of ships to explore. There was also a concept for the Necromorphs' origin and the measures humanity might have to take to avoid extinction. Ultimately, plans for a fourth "Dead Space" game were abandoned as the team disbanded to work on other projects. Wanat had material planned for up to an envisioned fifth game.


title: Dead Space 3

text: Following the release of "Dead Space 3", rumors Electronic Arts had canceled the series emerged; the company denied these rumors and stated Visceral Games was working on other properties at the time. Visceral Games had shifted to work on "Battlefield Hardline", which allowed them to become accustomed to the Frostbite game engine, which Electronic Arts was mandating for all of its in-house games. Visceral Games was closed in 2017 amid production on a "Star Wars" video game project. The "Dead Space" series remained dormant until the 2021 announcement of a remake of "Dead Space" that was developed by Motive Studios. The developers took into account feedback from the series when developing the remake, saying microtransactions would be omitted. The "Dead Space" remake is scheduled for release on January 27, 2023, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.


title: Golden hour (photography)

text: In photography, the golden hour is the period of daytime shortly after sunrise or before sunset, during which daylight is redder and softer than when the sun is higher in the sky.


title: Golden hour (photography)

text: The golden hour is also sometimes called the "magic hour," especially by cinematographers and photographers. During these times, the brightness of the sky matches the brightness of streetlights, signs, car headlights and lit windows.


title: Golden hour (photography)

text: The period of time shortly before the magic hour at sunrise, or after it at sunset, is called the "blue hour". This is when the sun is at a significant depth below the horizon, when residual, indirect sunlight takes on a predominantly blue shade, and there are no sharp shadows because the sun either has not risen, or has set.


title: Golden hour (photography)

text: When the sun is low above the horizon, sunlight rays must penetrate the atmosphere for a greater distance, reducing the intensity of the direct light, so that more of the illumination comes from indirect light from the sky, reducing the lighting ratio. This is technically a type of lighting diffusion. More blue light is scattered, so if the sun is present, its light appears more reddish. In addition, the sun's low angle above the horizon produces longer shadows.


title: Golden hour (photography)

text: The term "hour" is used figuratively; the effect has no clearly defined duration and varies according to season and latitude. The character of the lighting is determined by the sun's altitude, and the time for the sun to move from the horizon to a specified altitude depends on a location's latitude and the time of year. In Los Angeles, California, at an hour after sunrise or an hour before sunset, the sun has an altitude of about 10–12°. For a location closer to the Equator, the same altitude is reached in less than an hour, and for a location farther from the equator, the altitude is reached in more than one hour. For a location sufficiently far from the equator, the sun may not reach an altitude of 10°, and the golden hour lasts for the entire day in certain seasons.


title: Golden hour (photography)

text: In the middle of the day, the bright overhead sun can create strong highlights and dark shadows. The degree to which overexposure can occur varies because different types of film and digital cameras have different dynamic ranges.


title: Golden hour (photography)

text: This harsh lighting problem is particularly important in portrait photography, where a fill flash is often necessary to balance lighting across the subject's face or body, filling in strong shadows that are usually considered undesirable.


title: Golden hour (photography)

text: Because the contrast is less during the golden hour, shadows are less dark, and highlights are less likely to be overexposed. In landscape photography, the warm color of the low sun is often considered desirable to enhance the colours of the scene. It is the best time of day for natural photography when diffuse and warm light is desired.


title: Evaporation

text: Evaporation is a type of vaporization that occurs on the surface of a liquid as it changes into the gas phase. High concentration of the evaporating substance in the surrounding gas significantly slows down evaporation, such as when humidity affects rate of evaporation of water. When the molecules of the liquid collide, they transfer energy to each other based on how they collide. When a molecule near the surface absorbs enough energy to overcome the vapor pressure, it will escape and enter the surrounding air as a gas. When evaporation occurs, the energy removed from the vaporized liquid will reduce the temperature of the liquid, resulting in evaporative cooling.


title: Evaporation

text: On average, only a fraction of the molecules in a liquid have enough heat energy to escape from the liquid. The evaporation will continue until an equilibrium is reached when the evaporation of the liquid is equal to its condensation. In an enclosed environment, a liquid will evaporate until the surrounding air is saturated.


title: Evaporation

text: Evaporation is an essential part of the water cycle. The sun (solar energy) drives evaporation of water from oceans, lakes, moisture in the soil, and other sources of water. In hydrology, evaporation and transpiration (which involves evaporation within plant stomata) are collectively termed evapotranspiration. Evaporation of water occurs when the surface of the liquid is exposed, allowing molecules to escape and form water vapor; this vapor can then rise up and form clouds. With sufficient energy, the liquid will turn into vapor.


title: Evaporation

text: For molecules of a liquid to evaporate, they must be located near the surface, they have to be moving in the proper direction, and have sufficient kinetic energy to overcome liquid-phase intermolecular forces. When only a small proportion of the molecules meet these criteria, the rate of evaporation is low. Since the kinetic energy of a molecule is proportional to its temperature, evaporation proceeds more quickly at higher temperatures. As the faster-moving molecules escape, the remaining molecules have lower average kinetic energy, and the temperature of the liquid decreases. This phenomenon is also called evaporative cooling. This is why evaporating sweat cools the human body.


title: Evaporation

text: Evaporation also tends to proceed more quickly with higher flow rates between the gaseous and liquid phase and in liquids with higher vapor pressure. For example, laundry on a clothes line will dry (by evaporation) more rapidly on a windy day than on a still day. Three key parts to evaporation are heat, atmospheric pressure (determines the percent humidity), and air movement.


title: Evaporation

text: On a molecular level, there is no strict boundary between the liquid state and the vapor state. Instead, there is a Knudsen layer, where the phase is undetermined. Because this layer is only a few molecules thick, at a macroscopic scale a clear phase transition interface cannot be seen.


title: Evaporation

text: Liquids that do not evaporate visibly at a given temperature in a given gas (e.g., cooking oil at room temperature) have molecules that do not tend to transfer energy to each other in a pattern sufficient to frequently give a molecule the heat energy necessary to turn into vapor. However, these liquids "are" evaporating. It is just that the process is much slower and thus significantly less visible.


title: Evaporation

text: If evaporation takes place in an enclosed area, the escaping molecules accumulate as a vapor above the liquid. Many of the molecules return to the liquid, with returning molecules becoming more frequent as the density and pressure of the vapor increases. When the process of escape and return reaches an equilibrium, the vapor is said to be "saturated", and no further change in either vapor pressure and density or liquid temperature will occur. For a system consisting of vapor and liquid of a pure substance, this equilibrium state is directly related to the vapor pressure of the substance, as given by the Clausius–Clapeyron relation:


title: Evaporation

text: where "P", "P" are the vapor pressures at temperatures "T", "T" respectively, Δ"H" is the enthalpy of vaporization, and "R" is the universal gas constant. The rate of evaporation in an open system is related to the vapor pressure found in a closed system. If a liquid is heated, when the vapor pressure reaches the ambient pressure the liquid will boil.


title: Evaporation

text: The ability for a molecule of a liquid to evaporate is based largely on the amount of kinetic energy an individual particle may possess. Even at lower temperatures, individual molecules of a liquid can evaporate if they have more than the minimum amount of kinetic energy required for vaporization.


title: Evaporation

text: Note: Air is used here as a common example of the surrounding gas; however, other gases may hold that role.


title: Evaporation

text: In the US, the National Weather Service measures, at various outdoor locations nationwide, the actual rate of evaporation from a standardized "pan" open water surface. Others do likewise around the world. The US data is collected and compiled into an annual evaporation map. The measurements range from under 30 to over per year.


title: Evaporation

text: Because it typically takes place in a complex environment, where 'evaporation is an extremely rare event', the mechanism for the evaporation of water isn't completely understood. Theoretical calculations require prohibitively long and large computer simulations. 'The rate of evaporation of liquid water is one of the principal uncertainties in modern climate modeling.'


title: Evaporation

text: Fuel droplets vaporize as they receive heat by mixing with the hot gases in the combustion chamber. Heat (energy) can also be received by radiation from any hot refractory wall of the combustion chamber.


title: Evaporation

text: Internal combustion engines rely upon the vaporization of the fuel in the cylinders to form a fuel/air mixture in order to burn well.


title: Evaporation

text: The chemically correct air/fuel mixture for total burning of gasoline has been determined to be 15 parts air to one part gasoline or 15/1 by weight. Changing this to a volume ratio yields 8000 parts air to one part gasoline or 8,000/1 by volume.


title: Evaporation

text: Thin films may be deposited by evaporating a substance and condensing it onto a substrate, or by dissolving the substance in a solvent, spreading the resulting solution thinly over a substrate, and evaporating the solvent. The Hertz–Knudsen equation is often used to estimate the rate of evaporation in these instances.


title: America's Got Talent (season 16)

text: The sixteenth season of the American talent show competition series "America's Got Talent" was broadcast on NBC from June 1 to September 15, 2021. Although production was still impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, live audiences were involved during audition sessions and live round stages of the competition. After Simon Cowell returned to his role on the program after an accident the previous year, the Judges Cuts round was replaced by him with a new deliberation format arrangement similar to that used in "Britain's Got Talent".


title: America's Got Talent (season 16)

text: This season included the first group Golden Buzzer in the program's history, and the creation of a "Wildcard" special (which aired via online streaming service Peacock on August 10, 2021), following the withdrawal of a Golden Buzzer participant. The sixteenth season was won by magician Dustin Tavella, with aerialist Aidan Bryant finishing second, and stand-up comedian Josh Blue placing third. During its broadcast, the season averaged around 6.6 million viewers, excluding its online Wildcard special.


title: America's Got Talent (season 16)

text: On February 24, 2021, the new season's line-up of judges and host was announced, revealing that Cowell would be returning, following an accident the previous year that had forced him to be absent in the fifteenth season's live episodes. Closed auditions were held across March and April, with footage taken from these undergoing final editing before the season's premiere at the beginning of June. A two-week hiatus in the broadcast schedule was also made, to avoid the NBC's live coverage of the postponed 2020 Summer Olympics between July and August.


title: America's Got Talent (season 16)

text: The Judge Cuts round, which had been significantly modified in the previous season due to the disruption of production, was replaced by the deliberation format used by "Britain's Got Talent". The judges conferred after the conclusion of auditions, to determine which acts would proceed to the live rounds. Some deliberations were filmed and used to fill in the remaining portions of the final audition episode for the season, as was done for the British edition.


title: America's Got Talent (season 16)

text: Due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the auditions were conducted with smaller audiences, augmented with stock footage of audiences from previous seasons and other editing techniques. With restrictions eased in California effective June 15, the live rounds returned to their usual home of the Dolby Theatre, but with audience members required to be vaccinated for COVID-19 and wear masks.


title: America's Got Talent (season 16)

text: During auditions, the judges and host agreed to grant a group Golden Buzzer for the first time in the program's history. Although this would have meant six guaranteed places in the quarter-finals, singer Nightbirde later withdrew from the competition to focus on her battle with cancer, despite receiving a Golden Buzzer. As a result of this, her place was converted into a Wildcard slot, with the process conducted via a special episode on the streaming service Peacock on the same night as the first quarter-final. The process involved five participants picked from those who were eliminated during the deliberation phase, with viewers voting via Twitter over a three-day period on which of these would be their Wildcard in the third quarter-final.


title: America's Got Talent (season 16)

text: Of the participants who auditioned this season, thirty-six secured a place in the live quarterfinals, with twelve quarter-finalists in each quarterfinal episode. Among these included: Northwell Nurse Choir, quick-change artist Léa Kyle, singer Jimmie Herrod, World Taekwondo Demonstration Team and classical singer Victory Brinker, who each received a Golden Buzzer; and singer Storm Large, a Wildcard act voted for during the Peacock special. About twenty-two quarter-finalists advanced to and were split between the two semi-finals, with 10 semi-finalists securing a place in the finals. The following below lists the results of each participant's overall performance in this season:


title: Circular flow of income

text: The circular flow of income or circular flow is a model of the economy in which the major exchanges are represented as flows of money, goods and services, etc. between economic agents. The flows of money and goods exchanged in a closed circuit correspond in value, but run in the opposite direction. The circular flow analysis is the basis of national accounts and hence of macroeconomics.


title: Circular flow of income

text: The idea of the circular flow was already present in the work of Richard Cantillon. François Quesnay developed and visualized this concept in the so-called Tableau économique. Important developments of Quesnay's tableau were Karl Marx's reproduction schemes in the second volume of "", and John Maynard Keynes' "General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money". Richard Stone further developed the concept for the United Nations (UN) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to the system, which is now used internationally.


title: Circular flow of income

text: The circular flow of income is a concept for better understanding of the economy as a whole and for example the National Income and Product Accounts (NIPAs). In its most basic form it considers a simple economy consisting solely of businesses and individuals, and can be represented in a so-called "circular flow diagram." In this simple economy, individuals provide the labour that enables businesses to produce goods and services. These activities are represented by the green lines in the diagram.


title: Circular flow of income

text: Alternatively, one can think of these transactions in terms of the monetary flows that occur. Businesses provide individuals with income (in the form of compensation) in exchange for their labor. That income is spent on the goods and services businesses produce.


title: Circular flow of income

text: The circular flow diagram illustrates the interdependence of the “flows,” or activities, that occur in the economy, such as the production of goods and services (or the “output” of the economy) and the income generated from that production. The circular flow also illustrates the equality between the income earned from production and the value of goods and services produced.


title: Circular flow of income

text: Of course, the total economy is much more complicated than the illustration above. An economy involves interactions between not only individuals and businesses, but also Federal, state, and local governments and residents of the rest of the world. Also not shown in this simple illustration of the economy are other aspects of economic activity such as investment in capital (produced—or fixed—assets such as structures, equipment, research and development, and software), flows of financial capital (such as stocks, bonds, and bank deposits),


title: Circular flow of income

text: One of the earliest ideas on the circular flow was explained in the work of 18th century Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon, who was influenced by prior economists, especially William Petty. Cantillon described the concept in his 1730 "Essay on the Nature of Trade in General," in chapter 11, entitled "The Par or Relation between the Value of Land and Labor" to chapter 13, entitled "The Circulation and Exchange of Goods and Merchandise, as well as their Production, are Carried On in Europe by Entrepreneurs, and at a Risk." Thornton eds. (2010) further explained:


title: Circular flow of income

text: Cantillon distinguished at least five types of economic agents: property owners, farmers, entrepreneurs, labors and artisans, as expressed in the contemporary diagram of the Cantillon's Circular Flow Economy.


title: Circular flow of income

text: François Quesnay further developed these concepts, and was the first to visualize these interactions over time in the so-called Tableau économique. Quesnay believed that trade and industry were not sources of wealth, and instead in his 1758 book "Tableau économique" (Economic Table) argued that agricultural surpluses, by flowing through the economy in the form of rent, wages, and purchases were the real economic movers, for two reasons.


title: Circular flow of income

text: The model Quesnay created consisted of three economic agents: The "Proprietary" class consisted of only landowners. The "Productive" class consisted of all agricultural laborers. The "Sterile" class is made up of artisans and merchants. The flow of production and/or cash between the three classes started with the Proprietary class because they own the land and they buy from both of the other classes. Quesnay visualised the steps in the process in the Tableau économique.


title: Circular flow of income

text: In Marxian economics, economic reproduction refers to recurrent (or cyclical) processes by which the initial conditions necessary for economic activity to occur are constantly re-created.


title: Circular flow of income

text: Economic reproduction involves the physical "production" and "distribution" of goods and services, the "trade" (the circulation via exchanges and transactions) of goods and services, and the "consumption" of goods and services (both productive or intermediate consumption and final consumption).


title: Circular flow of income

text: Karl Marx developed the original insights of Quesnay to model the circulation of capital, money, and commodities in the second volume of "Das Kapital" to show how the reproduction process that must occur in any type of society can take place in capitalist society by means of the circulation of capital.


title: Circular flow of income

text: Marx distinguishes between "simple reproduction" and "expanded (or enlarged) reproduction". In the former case, no economic growth occurs, while in the latter case, more is produced than is needed to maintain the economy at the given level, making economic growth possible. In the capitalist mode of production, the difference is that in the former case, the new surplus value created by wage-labour is spent by the employer on consumption (or hoarded), whereas in the latter case, part of it is reinvested in production.


title: Circular flow of income

text: An important development was John Maynard Keynes's 1933 publication of the "General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money". Keynes' assistant Richard Stone further developed the concept for the United Nations (UN) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to the systems, which is now used internationally.


title: Circular flow of income

text: The first to visualize the modern circular flow of income model was Frank Knight in 1933 publication of "The Economic Organization." Knight (1933) explained:


title: Circular flow of income

text: Knight pictured a circulation of money and circulation of economic value between people (individuals, families) and business enterprises as a group, explaining: "The general character of an enterprise system, reduced to its very simplest terms, can be illustrated by a diagram showing the exchange of productive power for consumption goods between individuals and business units, mediated by the "circulation" of money, and suggesting the familiar figure of the "wheel of wealth"."


title: Circular flow of income

text: In the basic two-sector circular flow of income model, the economy consists of two sectors: (1) households and (2) firms. (Some sources refer to households as "individuals" or the "public" and to firms as "businesses" or the "productive sector.") The model assumes that there is no financial sector, no government sector, and no foreign sector. In addition, the model assumes that (a) through their expenditures, households spend all of their income on goods and services or consumption and (b) through their expenditures, households purchase all output produced by firms. This means that all household expenditures become income for firms. The firms then spend all of this income on factors of production such as labor, capital and raw materials, "transferring" all of their income to the factor owners (which are households). The factor owners (households), in turn, spend all of their income on goods, which leads to a circular flow of income.


title: Circular flow of income

text: The three-sector model adds the government sector to the two-sector model. Thus, the three-sector model includes (1) households, (2) firms, and (3) government. It excludes the financial sector and the foreign sector. The government sector consists of the economic activities of local, state and federal governments. Flows from households and firms to government are in the form of taxes. The income the government receives flows to firms and households in the form of subsidies, transfers, and purchases of goods and services. Every payment has a corresponding receipt; that is, every flow of money has a corresponding flow of goods in the opposite direction. As a result, the aggregate expenditure of the economy is identical to its aggregate income, making a circular flow.


title: Circular flow of income

text: The four-sector model adds the foreign sector to the three-sector model. (The foreign sector is also known as the "external sector," the "overseas sector," or the "rest of the world.") Thus, the four-sector model includes (1) households, (2) firms, (3) government, and (4) the rest of the world. It excludes the financial sector. The foreign sector comprises (a) foreign trade (imports and exports of goods and services) and (b) inflow and outflow of capital (foreign exchange). Again, each flow of money has a corresponding flow of goods (or services) in the opposite direction. Each of the four sectors receives some payments from the other in lieu of goods and services which makes a regular flow of goods and physical services. The addition of the foreign sector


title: Circular flow of income

text: The five-sector model adds the financial sector to the four-sector model. Thus, the five-sector model includes (1) households, (2) firms, (3) government, (4) the rest of the world, and (5) the financial sector. The financial sector includes banks and non-bank intermediaries that engage in borrowing (savings from households) and lending (investments in firms). Money facilitates such an exchange smoothly. Residuals from each market enter the capital market as savings, which in turn are invested in firms and the government sector. Technically speaking, so long as lending is equal to borrowing (i.e., leakages are equal to injections), the circular flow will continue indefinitely. However, this job is done by financial institutions in the economy.


title: Circular flow of income

text: The progression from the two-sector model to the five sector model as documented above (that is, by starting with households and firms, then successively adding the government sector, the foreign sector, and the financial sector) is common. However, some authors group (1) households, (2) firms, and (3) the financial sector together as the "private sector" and subsequently add (4) the government sector, making the "domestic sector," and (5) the foreign sector. Others use the "capital market" rather than the "financial sector" to account for the flows of savings and investments; in these sources, the fully specified model has four sectors (households, firms, government, and foreign) plus the capital market, which is regarded as a market rather than a sector.


title: Circular flow of income

text: In terms of the circular flow of income model, the leakage that financial institutions provide in the economy is the option for households to save their money. This is a leakage because the saved money can not be spent in the economy and thus is an idle asset that means not all output will be purchased. The injection that the financial sector provides into the economy is investment (I) into the business/firms sector. An example of a group in the finance sector includes banks such as Westpac or financial institutions such as Suncorp.


title: Circular flow of income

text: The leakage that the Government sector provides is through the collection of revenue through taxes (T) that is provided by households and firms to the government. This is a leakage because it is a leakage out of the current income thus reducing the expenditure on current goods and services. The injection provided by the government sector is government spending (G) that provides collective services and welfare payments to the community. An example of a tax collected by the government as a leakage is income tax and an injection into the economy can be when the government redistributes this income in the form of welfare payments, that is a form of government spending back into the economy.


title: Circular flow of income

text: The main leakage from this sector are imports (M), which represent spending by residents into the rest of the world. The main injection provided by this sector is the exports of goods and services which generate income for the exporters from overseas residents. An example of the use of the overseas sector is Australia exporting wool to China, China pays the exporter of the wool (the farmer) therefore more money enters the economy thus making it an injection. Another example is China processing the wool into items such as coats and Australia importing the product by paying the Chinese exporter; since the money paying for the coat leaves the economy it is a leakage.


title: Circular flow of income

text: In terms of the "five sector circular flow of income model" the state of equilibrium occurs when the total leakages are equal to the total injections that occur in the economy. This can be shown as:


title: Circular flow of income

text: Therefore, since the leakages are equal to the injections the economy is in a stable state of equilibrium. This state can be contrasted to the state of disequilibrium where unlike that of equilibrium the sum of total leakages does not equal the sum of total injections. By giving values to the leakages and injections the circular flow of income can be used to show the state of disequilibrium. Disequilibrium can be shown as:


title: Circular flow of income

text: If S + T + M > I + G + X the levels of income, output, expenditure and employment will fall causing a recession or contraction in the overall economic activity. But if S + T + M < I + G + X the levels of income, output, expenditure and employment will rise causing a boom or expansion in economic activity.


title: Circular flow of income

text: To manage this problem, if disequilibrium were to occur in the five sector circular flow of income model, changes in expenditure and output will lead to equilibrium being regained. An example of this is if:


title: Circular flow of income

text: S + T + M > I + G + X the levels of income, expenditure and output will fall causing a contraction or recession in the overall economic activity. As the income falls households will cut down on all leakages such as saving, they will also pay less in taxation and with a lower income they will spend less on imports. This will lead to a fall in the leakages until they equal the injections and a lower level of equilibrium will be the result.


title: Circular flow of income

text: The other equation of disequilibrium, if S + T + M < I + G + X in the five sector model the levels of income, expenditure and output will greatly rise causing a boom in economic activity. As the households income increases there will be a higher opportunity to save therefore saving in the financial sector will increase, taxation for the higher threshold will increase and they will be able to spend more on imports. In this case when the leakages increase the situation will be a higher level of equilibrium.


title: Circular flow of income

text: The circular flow diagram is an abstraction of the economy as a whole. The diagram suggests that the economy can reproduce itself. The idea is that as households spend money of goods and services from firms, the firms have the means to purchase labor from the households, which the households to then purchase goods and services. Suggesting that this process can and will continuously go on as a perpetual motion machine. However, according to the Laws of Thermodynamics perpetual motion machines do not exist. The First Laws says matter and energy cannot be created or destroyed, and the Second Laws says that matter and energy move from a low entropy, useful, state towards a less useful higher entropy state. Thus, no system can continue without inputs of new energy that exit as high entropy waste. Just as no animal can live on its own waste, no economy can recycle the waste it produces without the input of new energy to reproduce itself. The economy therefore cannot be the whole. It must be a subsystem of the larger ecosystem.


title: Circular flow of income

text: The abstraction ignores the linear throughput of matter and energy that must power the continuous motion of money, goods and services, and factors of production. Matter and energy enter the economy in the form of low entropy natural capital, such as solar energy, oil wells, fisheries, and mines. These materials and energy are used by households and firms a like to create products and wealth. After the material are used up, the energy and matter leaves the economy in the form of high entropy waste that is no longer valuable to the economy. The natural materials that power the motion of the circular flow of the economy come from the environment, and the waste must be absorbed by the larger ecosystem in which the economy exists.


title: Circular flow of income

text: This is not to say that the circular flow diagram isn't useful in understanding the basics of an economy, such as leakages and injections. However, it cannot be ignored that the economy intrinsically requires natural resources and the creation of waste that must be absorbed in some manner. The economy can only continue churning if it has matter and energy to power it and the ability to absorb the waste it creates. This matter and low entropy energy and the ability to absorb waste exists in a finite amount, and thus there is a finite amount of inputs to the flow and outputs of the flow that the environment can handle, implying there is a sustainable limit to motion, and therefore growth, of the economy.


title: Circular flow of income

text: This article incorporates text from Bureau of Economic Analysis. "Measuring the Economy : A Primer on GDP and the National Income and Product Accounts," 2014, a publication now in the public domain.


title: Makar Sankranti

text: Makar(a) Sankranti (), also referred to as Uttarayana, Maghi, or simply Sankranti, is a Hindu observance and a festival. Usually falling on the date of January 14 annually, this occasion marks the transition of the Sun from the zodiac of Sagittarius ("dhanu") to Capricorn ("makara"). Since the Sun is regarded to have moved from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere on this day in the Hindu calendar, the festival is dedicated to the solar deity, Surya, and is observed to mark a new beginning. Many native multi-day festivals are organised on this occasion all over India.


title: Makar Sankranti

text: The festivities associated with Makar Sankranti are known by various names "Magh Bihu" in Assam, "Maghi" in Punjab, "Maghi Saaji" in Himachal Pradesh, "Maghi Sangrand" or "Uttarain" (Uttarayana) in Jammu, "Sakrat" in Haryana, Sakraat in Rajasthan, "Sukarat" in central India, "Pongal" in Tamil Nadu, "Uttarayana" in Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh, "Ghughuti" in Uttarakhand, "Dahi Chura" in Bihar, "Makar Sankranti" in Odisha, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, West Bengal (also called "Poush Sankranti or Mokor Sonkranti"), Uttar Pradesh (also called "Khichidi Sankranti"), Uttarakhand (also called "Uttarayani") or as simply, "Sankranti" in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, "Maghe Sankranti" (Nepal), "Songkran" (Thailand), "Thingyan" (Myanmar), "Mohan Songkran" (Cambodia), Til Sakraait in Mithila, Maghe Sankranti Nepal, and "Shishur Senkrath" (Kashmir). On Makar Sankranti, the Sun god is worshipped along with Vishnu and goddess Lakshmi throughout India.


title: Makar Sankranti

text: Makar Sankranti is observed with social festivities such as colourful decorations, rural children going house to house, singing and asking for treats in some areas, "melas" (fairs), dances, kite flying, bonfires and feasts. The "Magha Mela", according to Indologist Diana L. Eck, is mentioned in the Hindu epic "Mahabharata". Many observers go to sacred rivers or lakes and bathe in a ceremony of thanks to the sun. Every twelve years, the Hindus observe "Makar Sankranti" with Kumbha Mela – one of the world's largest mass pilgrimage, with an estimated 60 to 100 million people attending the event. At this event, they say a prayer to the sun and bathe at the Prayagaraj confluence of the River Ganga and River Yamuna, a tradition attributed to Adi Shankaracharya.


title: Makar Sankranti

text: Makar Sankranti is set by the solar cycle and corresponds to the exact time astronomical event of the Sun entering Capricorn and is observed on a day that usually falls on 14 January of the Gregorian calendar, but on 15 January in leap years. Makar Sankranti's date and time is analogous to Sidereal time of Zodiac sign of Capricorn (when sun enters).


title: Makar Sankranti

text: The year is 365.24 days long and the time difference between the two consecutive instances of Makar Sankranti (Sidereal time of the Zodiac sign of Capricorn) is almost the same as the year. We only have 365 days in a year so in the time of four years Calendar lags by one day so we need to adjust it by leap day, 29 February. But Makar Sankranti falls before leap day correction is made therefore on every fourth year it falls on 15 January. Sidereal time of sign of Capricorn also shifts by a day due to leap year. Similarly, the time of Equinoxes also shifts by a day in each four years window. For example, Equinox of September does not fall on the same date each year nor does the winter solstice. Any event related to one revolution of the earth around the sun will have this date shift within 4 years cycle. Similar changes can be seen in the exact time of Solstices and equinoxes. See the table, how the time of the equinox and a Solstice increases and decreases in a cycle of four years.


title: Makar Sankranti

text: We can see the time difference between two consecutive winter Solstices is about 5 hours 49 minutes 59 seconds, with respect to winter Solistice time, and the time difference between two consecutive Mankar Sankranti is about 6 hours and 10 minutes. Towards the end of the 21st Century, there will be more occurrences of Makar Sankranti on 15 January in a four-year cycle.


title: Makar Sankranti

text: And Makar Sankranti (the Sidereal time of the Zodiac sign of Capricorn) will be on 16 January for the first in the year 2102 as 2100 will not be a leap year.


title: Makar Sankranti

text: Makar Sankranti is celebrated when the Sun's ecliptic longitude becomes 270° measured from a fixed starting point which is in opposition to Spica, i.e. this is a sidereal measure. Uttarayana begins when the Sun's ecliptic longitude becomes 270° measured from the Vernal equinox, i.e. this is a tropical measure. While both concern a measure of 270° their starting points are different. Hence, Makar Sankarant and Uttarayana occur on different days. On the Gregorian calendar, Makar Sankaranthi occurs on 14th / 15 Jan; Uttarayana starts on Dec 21st.


title: Makar Sankranti

text: Due to the precession of the equinoxes the tropical zodiac (i.e. all the equinoxes and solstices) shifts by about 1° in 72 years. As a result, the December solstice (Uttarayana) is continuously but very slowly moving away from Makar Sankranti. Conversely, the December solstice (Uttarayana) and Makar Sankranti must have coincided at some time in the distant past. Such a coincidence last happened 1700 years back, in 291 AD .


title: Makar Sankranti

text: Every year "Makar Sankranti" is celebrated in the month of January. This festival is dedicated to the Hindu religious sun god "Surya". This significance of Surya is traceable to the Vedic texts, particularly the Gayatri Mantra, a sacred hymn of Hinduism found in its scripture named the "Rigveda". According to the constitution of God, Our Holy Vedas and Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta, if we take initiation from a Complete Guru/Saint and worship Supreme God and attain emancipation. By performing true scripture-based way of worship, one’s life becomes blessed, and the Earth will become heaven.


title: Makar Sankranti

text: Makara Sankranti is regarded as important for spiritual practices and accordingly, people take a holy dip in rivers, especially Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri. The bathing is believed to result in merit or absolution of past sins. They also pray to the sun and thank for their successes and prosperity. A shared cultural practices found amongst Hindus of various parts of India is making sticky, bound sweets particularly from sesame ("til") and a sugar base such as jaggery ("gud, gur, gul"). This type of sweet is a symbolism for being together in peace and joyfulness, despite the uniqueness and differences between individuals. For most parts of India, this period is a part of early stages of the Rabi crop and agricultural cycle, where crops have been sown and the hard work in the fields is mostly over. The time thus signifies a period of socializing and families enjoying each other's company, taking care of the cattle, and celebrating around bonfires, in Gujarat the festival is celebrated by flying kites.


title: Makar Sankranti

text: Makara Sankranti is an important pan-Indian solar festival, known by different names though observed on the same date, sometimes for multiple dates around the Makar Sankranti. It is known as Pedda Panduga in Andhra Pradesh, Makara Sankranti in Karnataka, Telangana, and Maharashtra, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Magh Bihu in Assam, Magha Mela in parts of central and north India, as Makar Sankranti in the west, Makara Sankranti or Shankaranti in Kerala, and by other names.


title: Makar Sankranti

text: Makar or Makara Sankranti is celebrated in many parts of the Indian subcontinent with some regional variations. It is known by different names and celebrated with different customs in different Indian states and South Asian countries:


title: Makar Sankranti

text: In most regions of India, Sankranti festivities last for two to four days of which each day is celebrated with distinct names and rituals.


title: Makar Sankranti

text: It is celebrated differently across the Indian subcontinent. Many people take a dip in places like Ganga Sagar and pray to the Sun God (Surya). It is celebrated with pomp in southern parts of India as Sankranti in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka (Pongal in Tamil Nadu), and in Punjab as Maghi.


title: Makar Sankranti

text: Many melas or fairs are held on Makar Sankranti the most famous being the Kumbha Mela, held every 12 years at one of four holy locations, namely "Haridwar", "Prayag" ("Prayagraj"), "Ujjain" and "Nashik". The "Magha Mela" (or " mini-Kumbh Mela" held annually at Prayag) and the "Gangasagar Mela" (held at the head of the Ganges River, where it flows into the Bay of Bengal). Makar Mela in Odisha. Tusu Mela also called as Tusu Porab is celebrated in many parts of Jharkhand and West Bengal. Poush Mela, held traditionally on the seventh day of Poush, at Shantiniketan, in West Bengal, is unrelated to this festival. Mela Maghi is held in memory of the forty Sikh martyrs ("Chalis Mukte") who gave their lives to protect Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru of Sikhism, every year at Muktsar Sahib in Punjab. Before this tradition, the festival was observed and mentioned by Guru Amar Das, the third Guru of Sikhism.


title: Makar Sankranti

text: The festival Sankranti is celebrated for four days in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Telugu women hindus decorate the entrance of their homes by geometric patterns drawn using colored rice flour, called Muggu.


title: Makar Sankranti

text: Bhogi is the first day of the four-day festival. It is celebrated with a bonfire with logs of wood, other solid-fuels, and wooden furniture at home that are no longer useful. In the evening, a ceremony called Bhogi Pallu, fruits of the harvest such as regi pallu and sugarcane are collected along with flowers of the season. Money is often placed into a mixture of treats and is poured over children. The children then collect the money and sweet fruits.


title: Makar Sankranti

text: The second and main day of the four-day festival, and is dedicated to the Hindu god Surya. The day marks the start of the Uttarayana, when the sun enters the 10th house of the zodiac Makara. It is commonly called as Pedda Panduga (Big festival) in the Andhra Pradesh state. Ariselu, a traditional sweet dish is offered to the god.


title: Makar Sankranti

text: The third day of the four-day festival, it is dedicated to the cattle and other domestic animals. The cattle are decorated, especially cows, they are offered bananas, a special meal and worshipped. On this day, popular community sport Kodi Pandem will begun playing until the next one to two days, especially in the Coastal Andhra region of Andhra Pradesh.


title: Makar Sankranti

text: Magh Bihu (also called Bhogali Bihu (Bihu of eating foods and enjoyment) or Maghar Domahi is a harvest festival celebrated in Assam, India, which marks the end of harvesting season in the month of Maagha (January–February). It is the Assam celebration of Makar Sankranti, with feasting lasting for a week.