Latest news with #GreatDivide
Egypt Independent
06-05-2025
- Science
- Egypt Independent
Oldest depiction of Milky Way discovered on Ancient Egyptian coffin
An Associate Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Portsmouth in the UK, Or Graur, discovered what is believed to be the oldest known depiction of the Milky Way in ancient Egyptian art. Driven by his passion, Graur led a major project documenting mythological representations of the Milky Way across civilizations, RT reported. The celestial bodies were associated with several Egyptian deities. The scientist studied 125 images of the goddess Nut (the goddess of the sky) on 555 Egyptian coffins dating back approximately 5,000 years. He published the results of his study in the Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage. In these images of the night and day sky, the goddess Nut appears as a nude woman sitting in a bow-like position, sometimes adorned with stars. Nut was believed to protect the Earth from floods and also played a pivotal role in the solar cycle. Graur believes this wavy line represents the Milky Way and points to the so-called 'Great Divide,' a dark dust band separating the bright parts of the galaxy. 'When you compare this drawing to a modern image of the Milky Way, there's a striking similarity,' he noted. Similar wavy lines appear in four tombs in the Valley of the Kings. In the tomb of Ramesses VI, the ceiling is divided into the 'Day Book' and the 'Night Book,' both featuring arched figures of Nut separated by swaying golden lines. The scientist explained, 'I have not observed a similar line in any of the other cosmic representations of Nut, which reinforces my belief that while Nut and the Milky Way are related, they are not one and the same. Nut is not the embodiment of the Milky Way; rather, the Milky Way is one of the celestial phenomena that adorn her body.'
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rory McIlroy pushes for more international focus: 'Golf isn't just played in America'
Pretty much everybody in the golf world — players, officials, bureaucrats, media, sponsors, fans — is done with chewing over the sport's Great Divide. Unless and until the Powers that Be get their acts together and figure out a way toward reconciliation, there's just not much to say any longer. ("We're kind of like past the level of exhaustion," Justin Thomas said earlier this week, discussing the PGA Tour-LIV split.) Credit Rory McIlroy, then, for spinning the conversation forward. McIlroy has taken plenty of shots at LIV Golf over the last three years, some of which he's had to walk back. But one element of LIV's strategy has struck a chord with McIlroy: the breakaway league's international focus. "My thing is for golf to stay where it is and be relevant, it needs to be ... worldwide, it's a year-round calendar," McIlroy said on Wednesday morning prior to The Players Championship. "Golf isn't just played in America," McIlroy added. "It didn't start in America. It's played in a lot of other places in the world." He noted that golf's primary source of revenue is American — as in, American corporations — and that's sufficient reason to keep much of the sport stateside. "But I think there is an opportunity to have some of the bigger tournaments outside of America," he added. "I've always been a worldwide player. I play all around the world. I start my year in the Middle East. I come over here. I go to the UK. After the FedExCup Playoffs I go back to Europe and play four or five events." He pointed specifically to Australia, which hosts the most popular event, by far, on the LIV calendar in Adelaide. The burgeoning golf scenes in both China and the Middle East could be a lucrative source of both revenue and fandom in the coming years, as well, and LIV — whatever its other flaws — is making a strategic move to address those markets. Regardless of how it happens, McIlroy implicitly acknowledged that reunification needs to happen for the good of the game. He contended that the best players in the world, from both LIV and the PGA Tour, need to be playing together "once a month if not more. I think 12 times a year, or maybe a smidge higher than that, I think would be a good number." The current number — four, the number of majors where the world's best will gather — simply isn't enough. In a lighter vein, McIlroy touched on a range of other subjects, including the burgeoning popularity of YouTube golf: "I'm not of that generation," he said. "I'd much rather watch this tournament on Saturday and Sunday than watch YouTube golf." About Tiger Woods' injury that will likely cost him the 2025 major season, McIlroy said, "It sucks. Yeah, he doesn't have much luck when it comes to injuries and his body ... Hoping he's in good spirits and hoping he's doing okay. We obviously won't see him play golf this year, and hopefully we see him maybe play in 2026." As for his own future, McIlroy stated without a doubt that he won't ever play on golf's senior circuit. "I will not play Champions Tour golf," he said. "Look, I've said a lot of absolutes in my time that I've walked back, but I do not envision playing Champions Tour golf. Something has went terribly wrong if I have to compete at golf at 50." He competes this weekend at Sawgrass, teeing off on Thursday at 1:29 p.m. ET alongside Xander Schauffele and defending champion Scottie Scheffler.
