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Tatler Asia
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
10 profound quotes on travel from famous writers through the ages
Henry Miller (1891–1980) 'One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.' - Henry Miller - Henry Miller, the American author best known for Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn , was an unorthodox and deeply introspective writer who viewed travel as a conduit for personal and artistic awakening. This quote appears in Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch (1957), a semi-autobiographical account of his years living in California's rugged Big Sur coast. In this work, Miller reflects on solitude, nature and the revelations that come when one steps away from society's routines. Maya Angelou (1928–2014) Above Maya Angelou was an American poet, memoirist and civil rights activist who spoke of travel as a bridge between cultures and peoples. (Photo: Brian Stansberry) 'Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples laugh, cry, eat, worry and die, it can produce the idea that if we try and understand one another, we may even become friends.' - Maya Angelou - A poet, memoirist and civil rights activist, Maya Angelou brought a deeply humanistic perspective to everything she wrote. This quote is taken from Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now (1993), a collection of essays on identity, tolerance and personal growth. In this piece, Angelou champions travel as a bridge between cultures and a powerful antidote to prejudice, drawing on her own extensive global experiences. Anita Desai (b. 1937) 'Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.' - Anita Desai - Anita Desai, one of India's most respected contemporary novelists, has consistently explored the themes of identity, memory and the emotional terrain of diaspora. This quote, often attributed to her from interviews and public appearances, encapsulates the lingering emotional residue that places leave on us; it's also a theme that is echoed in works like her 2004 novel The Zigzag Way , which explores cross-cultural encounters and the pull of distant geographies. Anthony Bourdain (1956–2018) Above Chef, author and television host Anthony Bourdain left behind many eloquent quotes on travel that reflected his empathy for people he met around the world. (Photo: Peabody Awards / Creative Commons) 'Travel isn't always pretty. It isn't always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that's okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.' - Anthony Bourdain - Anthony Bourdain, the chef-turned-author and television host, was revered not just for his culinary explorations but also for his deep respect for cultures around the world and empathy with the people that he met. This widely cited quote is from No Reservations: Around the World on an Empty Stomach , Bourdain's 2007 bestseller that was published as a companion to the hit show of the same title. Bourdain's trademark honesty about the messiness of exploration, framed in his gruffly eloquent style, made his quotes on travel unforgettable. Don't miss: 11 Hong Kong restaurants loved by Anthony Bourdain Margaret Atwood (b. 1939) 'So much better to travel than to arrive.' - Margaret Atwood - Canadian author Margaret Atwood is known for her speculative fiction masterpieces like The Handmaid's Tale , but she is also a skilled poet. This quote comes from her 1981 poetry collection True Stories , a stark and vivid set of verses born out of her travels with Amnesty International. Evoking the age-old tension between motion and destination, Atwood suggests that the process of moving forward may be more instructive than the goal itself. Paulo Coelho (b. 1947) 'If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine. It's lethal.' - Paulo Coelho - Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho's work often walks the line between spiritual parable and practical philosophy. This quote, popularised through social media and cited often in motivational talks, aligns closely with the ethos of his global bestseller The Alchemist (1988); though not quoted in the novel, the sentiment captures its central theme: that the pursuit of one's 'personal legend' or true purpose requires risk, courage—and leaving the familiar behind. Anaïs Nin (1903–1977) Above Anaïs Nin, the iconic bohemian diarist, saw travel as a search for connection and kinship. (Photo: Elsa Dorfman / Creative Commons) 'We travel, some of us forever, to seek other states, other lives, other souls.' - Anaïs Nin - Anaïs Nin, the French Cuban American diarist and novelist, is celebrated for her lyrical, introspective writing and her bohemian spirit. This quote is from The Diary of Anaïs Nin , in which she reflects on her lifelong search for emotional and intellectual kinship. For Nin, travel was not merely a physical act; it was a quest for deeper connection and alternative modes of living. Judith Thurman (b. 1946) 'Every dreamer knows that it is entirely possible to be homesick for a place you've never been to, perhaps more homesick than for familiar ground.' - Judith Thurman - Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer and New Yorker writer Judith Thurman penned this evocative quote on travel in Cleopatra's Nose: 39 Varieties of Desire (2007), a collection of literary essays. It perfectly captures the paradoxical yearning for the unknown, and speaks to dreamers, writers and travellers who feel the pull of imagined landscapes more strongly than those of their everyday lives. Roald Dahl (1916–1990) 'And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.' - Roald Dahl - British novelist Roald Dahl, beloved for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda , infused his children's stories with curiosity and wonder. This beautiful quote on travel comes from The Minpins (1991), one of his final works. Though it's aimed at young readers, the message is timeless: approach the world with awe and attention, and you'll be rewarded with unexpected magic.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
'Zero shadow day' makes photos look like AI
Two days a year, locations near the tropics experience a usual phenomenon that causes shadows to vanish, making photos look fake. 'Zero shadow day' occurs when the sun is directly overhead, something that is only possible between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn due to the Earth's tilt. At the precise moment when the sun is at the highest point in the sky, objects appear as though they do not have a shadow. However, that is not necessarily the case. Instead, shadows are cast straight down, rather than being cast at an angle like they are most days of the year. A person standing still would only have a shadow at their feet. This can make photos of objects look unnatural, as if they were created by AI. Hawaii is the only state in the U.S. that experiences zero shadow day, and is known locally as Lahaian Noon. The exact date of Lahaian Noon varies across the island, but generally occurs once between May 14 and May 30, and again between July 11 and July 27. Mexico City, Mexico; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Chennai, Mumbai and Bengaluru, India, are a handful of cities around the globe that experience zero shadow day twice a year. The only catch is that the event only lasts for a few minutes, so one poorly timed cloud could spoil the show.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
New moon of May 2025 leaves the night sky dark to see the summer constellations tonight
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The new moon of May occurs on May 26. Two days later the moon will make a close pass to Jupiter in the evening sky, and the summer constellations will be rising. New moons happen when the moon is directly between Earth and the sun. They share a celestial longitude (called right ascension by astronomers), a projection of the Earth's longitude lines on the sky measured eastward from the point where the sun crosses the celestial equator. This position is also called a conjunction. If the sun and the moon line up perfectly the result is a solar eclipse; but that does not happen most of the time, as the moon's orbit is tilted 5 degrees relative to Earth's orbit. (The next solar eclipse is due on Sept. 21). That means seeing the new moon isn't possible, due to the sun's glare. Even if the sun were blocked, the moon would be facing away from us, showing the dark side, which would just be black on a black background. Lunar phases are determined by the moon's position, rather than one's position on Earth, so to find the time of a lunar phase one only needs to count the hours difference from Universal Coordinated Time in London to whatever time zone. So, when the moon reaches the new phase in New York, it will do so at 8:02 p.m. on May 26, at 11:02 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (0302 UTC May 27), according to the U.S. Naval Observatory. It will do so at 8:02 p.m. (May 26) in Los Angeles, 4:02 a.m. May 27 in Paris, and 12:02 p.m. May 27 in Tokyo. On May 26 the sun sets at 8:16 p.m. in New York, according to the U.S. Naval Observatory; the longer days of the Northern Hemisphere late spring and summer months start to become apparent. Sunset actually gets earlier as one moves south because in the tropics, between latitudes 23.5 degrees north, the Tropic of Cancer, and 23.5 degrees south, the Tropic of Capricorn, the day length doesn't change much over the course of the year the way it does in more northerly or southerly regions. In Miami, which is only about two degrees north of the Tropical latitudes, sunset on May 26 is at 8:05 p.m. The reverse is true in the Southern Hemisphere where days are getting shorter – sunset in Buenos Aires is at 5:52 p.m. local time. In New York, a half hour after sunset, one might still be able to catch Jupiter, which will be about 10 degrees high in the west (the width of your fist at arm's length equals around 10 degrees in the sky). The sky will still be a little bit light as civil twilight, when the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon, ends at 8:49 p.m. Jupiter will therefore be hard to see, but as the sky gets darker it will start to come out. It won't be up for long, though; the planet sets at 9:54 p.m. local time. TOP TELESCOPE PICK: Want to see the wonders of the night sky? The Celestron NexStar 4SE is ideal for beginners wanting quality, reliable and quick views of celestial objects. For a more in-depth look at our Celestron NexStar 4SE review. Mars will be about halfway up the sky – 44 degrees high – in the southwest at about 9 p.m. Eastern Time, and sets at 1:02 a.m. May 27. The planet is distinctly reddish, though dimmer than usual as it is in a part of its orbit that is receding from Earth. It is still relatively bright, however, and its steady light makes it easily recognizable near stars that twinkle. Saturn, in the constellation Aquarius, rises at 2:42 a.m. May 27, and Venus follows at 3:29 a.m. By 4:30 a.m. Saturn and Venus will be respectively 19 degrees and 11 degrees high, with Venus almost due east and Saturn more to the southeast. Sunrise in New York City is at 5:29 a.m. On May 28 the conjunction of the moon and Jupiter will happen at 9:13 a.m. in New York, so the moment when the two bodies are at closest approach to each other won't be observable from there. But by 9:00 p.m. that evening the thin crescent moon will be low in the western sky and Jupiter will appear almost directly below it. The sun's lingering light will make it a challenging observation; with a clear sky and unobstructed horizon one should be able to make them both out. The conjunction will be more visible in Asia, where it happens late enough that the day-old moon, appearing as a thin crescent, and Jupiter are both above the horizon still as the sky is darkening. In Dhaka, Bangladesh, for example, sunset is at 6:41 p.m. local time and the moon and Jupiter will become visible at about 7:00 p.m. The conjunction itself is at 7:13 p.m. local time according to Jupiter sets at 8:04 p.m. from Dhaka, and the moon will look as though it is directly above Jupiter and slightly to the left. From Yangon, Myanmar, the conjunction occurs at 7:13 p.m. local time, and Jupiter is 18 degrees high at sunset, which is at 6:33 p.m. At the moment of conjunction, the planet will be 9 degrees above the horizon, accompanied by the thin crescent moon on the right. If you're looking for a telescope or binoculars to observe planets in the night sky, our guides for the best binoculars deals and the best telescope deals now can help. Our guides on the best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography can also help you prepare to capture the next skywatching sight. In mid-northern latitudes, late May is when the days get significantly longer than in the spring. In such locales it doesn't get fully dark (to the eye) until at least 9:30 p.m. – in New York City astronomical twilight, when the sun is between 12 and 18 degrees below the horizon and the last of the daylight disappears, ends at 10:15 p.m. on May 26. At 10 p.m., as one can look southwest and see Mars, which will be among the stars of Leo the Lion. Leo will be about halfway to the zenith in the sky at this hour. Regulus, Leo's alpha star, will be to the left of Mars, and that marks the lower right corner of the rough trapezoid formed by the Lion's body and tail. If one looks above Regulus, one sees Gamma Leonis, or Algieba, the Lion's front shoulder, and from there one can usually spot the "sickle" that is the head and mane. To the left and up from Regulus and Algieba is Delta Leonis (Zosma). If one looks left of Zosma one will see Denebola, or Beta Leonis, the end of the Lion's tail. Denebola and Zosma form a right triangle with Theta Leonis, or Al Haratan, the latter of which is the Lion's hindquarters. Looking north, one can orient with the Big Dipper, almost directly above the northern horizon (at 10 p.m. it will be a bit to the left, in the north-northwestern direction). The bowl will be almost upside down and the two stars that point to Polaris, the pole star, are on the left and lower side of the bowl. The stars are called Dubhe and Merak, and Dubhe is the one closer to Polaris – one finds Polaris by making a line between the two and continuing until one reaches Polaris. Following the handle of the Dipper one can "arc to Arcturus" –a sweeping motion along the curve of the handle gets you there, to the brightest star in Boötes, the Herdsman. Continuing that arc one hits Spica, the brightest star in Virgo. If one draws a line between Dubhe and Merak away from Polaris one reaches Leo. In the East, Vega, the bright star of Lyra, the Lyre, is about 30 degrees high. It is bright enough that even in light-polluted areas it is distinct. Vega is one of the three stars of the Summer Triangle, the others are Deneb, the brightest star in Cygnus, the Swan, and Altair, the eye of the Eagle. By 10 p.m. Deneb is left and down from Vega, about 10 degrees above the horizon (it actually rises just after 7:00 p.m. in mid-northern latitudes, but the sky is too bright to see it until later). Altair rises at 9:54 p.m. local time in New York, and by midnight it is 23 degrees high in the east. The Summer Triangle's narrowest point always faces southward, (it is almost a right triangle with the 90-degree angle at Deneb) so it is a good direction finder, especially as it gets higher in the sky. By midnight, looking southeast, about 21 degrees high (depending on how far north or south one is) one will see Antares, the brightest star (the "heart") of Scorpius, the Scorpion. Above Antares are three medium-bright stars that form Scorpius' head and claws. From darker-sky locations, above and to the left of Scorpius is the fainter (but much larger) constellation Ophiuchus, the Serpent Holder or Healer. Ophiuchus can be recognized by a long, almost rectangular pentagon of medium-to-faint stars that extends above Scorpius; initially (at about midnight) he will appear to be lying on his side. On either side of Ophiuchus are the constellations Serpens Caput and Serpens Cauda, the head (Caput) and the tail (Cauda) of the serpents Ophiuchus holds. In the southern hemisphere, days are getting shorter. In Santiago, Chile, for example, the sun sets early, at 5:44 p.m. local time on May 26. That means the sky gets dark enough to see stars by 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. local time. Observers in mid-southern latitudes can see Scorpius in the east-southeast, with Antares about 15 degrees above the horizon. Looking more directly southeast, about 43 degrees high is Alpha Centauri, also called Rigil Kentaurus, our nearest stellar neighbor. Rigil Kentaurus marks the front legs of the Centaur. The Centaur represents (per Ovid) Chiron, the centaur who according to legend taught Heracles (Hercules), Jason, and Theseus. Just above Alpha Centauri is Hadar (Beta Centauri) and looking upwards a little further is the Southern Cross (Crux). There is no pole star in the southern skies, but Crux points towards the southern celestial pole. Turning right towards the southwest, one can see Canopus at about the same altitude as the Cross; it's the brightest star in Carina, the Ship's Keel. From Carina in the Keel, as one looks to the right, towards the west one will see Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, and the alpha star of Canis Major, the Bog Dog. Between the Dog and Canopus, and above both, is Puppis, the Poop Deck. Puppis and Carina are two of three modern constellations that once made up Argo, the ship of Jason. The third constellation is Vela, an oval of seven stars (one can see nine if the sky is dark) that sits above Carina and Puppis.
Sydney Morning Herald
25-05-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
Where does the outback actually begin? Even Tourism Australia isn't sure
Tassie's not the outback. Neither is Canberra. Uluru – that irresistible drawcard in the geographic and spiritual heart of Australia – most definitely is. Between those far-flung certainties are hundreds of thousands of square kilometres that aren't as easy to define, even if you're an Australian who is extremely familiar with this 'wide brown land' (brown? Surely Dorothea Mackellar meant 'red'). No wonder you find odd questions on Google such as 'what city is near the outback in Australia?' and 'what is the real outback in Australia?' Strewth. The outback is real, all right, but also myth and legend, as hard to grasp as a shimmering mirage. So where does the outback begin and end? I started pondering this question a few years back after chortling over a cover line on an esteemed weekly magazine. It boldly stated that Biloela was in outback Queensland. Having spent part of my childhood in the nearby town of Monto, I knew that was wildly untrue. Biloela is surrounded by verdant countryside and is a mere 100 kilometres from the coast as the crow flies. In less than two hours, you can drive north to the thriving city of Rockhampton – Australia's Beef Capital - and join its throng of 85,000 residents. Only a headline writer in Sydney would think Biloela is in the outback. Mount Isa caravan park co-owner and outback ambassador for Drive Queensland, Kylie Rixon, has thoughts on the subject. 'We're not the bush, we're not the country – we're the outback,' she tells me, when describing her remote mining community that's roughly halfway between Darwin and Brisbane. 'The outback to me is a feeling which is hard to put into words. It's that sense of community, that calmness, the serenity, the isolation, which a lot of the time is not geographical. 'We are geographically isolated but, as far as community goes, we're far from isolated. Because we all live so remotely, our friends become our family and our sporting teams become our Christmas barbecues. That's why we've got such a strong community with sporting groups and so on, because they do become our little outback families. All of that stuff contributes to a society that's really welcoming and nurturing and friendly.' According to a Tourism Australia article titled 'Guide to the Outback', some 81 per cent of our country can call itself the outback but it's also a place with 'no defined borders'. More helpfully, it adds that the outback typically falls into three climate categories: arid, semi-arid and north of the Tropic of Capricorn, a latitudinal line that runs through Rockhampton's southern suburbs (perhaps that headline-writer wasn't so far off after all). Regional coastal cities such as Townsville and Cairns aren't the outback but Broken Hill, in Far West NSW, is part of the mysterious landscape that lies somewhere beyond the 'back of Bourke'.
The Age
25-05-2025
- The Age
Where does the outback actually begin? Even Tourism Australia isn't sure
Tassie's not the outback. Neither is Canberra. Uluru – that irresistible drawcard in the geographic and spiritual heart of Australia – most definitely is. Between those far-flung certainties are hundreds of thousands of square kilometres that aren't as easy to define, even if you're an Australian who is extremely familiar with this 'wide brown land' (brown? Surely Dorothea Mackellar meant 'red'). No wonder you find odd questions on Google such as 'what city is near the outback in Australia?' and 'what is the real outback in Australia?' Strewth. The outback is real, all right, but also myth and legend, as hard to grasp as a shimmering mirage. So where does the outback begin and end? I started pondering this question a few years back after chortling over a cover line on an esteemed weekly magazine. It boldly stated that Biloela was in outback Queensland. Having spent part of my childhood in the nearby town of Monto, I knew that was wildly untrue. Biloela is surrounded by verdant countryside and is a mere 100 kilometres from the coast as the crow flies. In less than two hours, you can drive north to the thriving city of Rockhampton – Australia's Beef Capital - and join its throng of 85,000 residents. Only a headline writer in Sydney would think Biloela is in the outback. Mount Isa caravan park co-owner and outback ambassador for Drive Queensland, Kylie Rixon, has thoughts on the subject. 'We're not the bush, we're not the country – we're the outback,' she tells me, when describing her remote mining community that's roughly halfway between Darwin and Brisbane. 'The outback to me is a feeling which is hard to put into words. It's that sense of community, that calmness, the serenity, the isolation, which a lot of the time is not geographical. 'We are geographically isolated but, as far as community goes, we're far from isolated. Because we all live so remotely, our friends become our family and our sporting teams become our Christmas barbecues. That's why we've got such a strong community with sporting groups and so on, because they do become our little outback families. All of that stuff contributes to a society that's really welcoming and nurturing and friendly.' According to a Tourism Australia article titled 'Guide to the Outback', some 81 per cent of our country can call itself the outback but it's also a place with 'no defined borders'. More helpfully, it adds that the outback typically falls into three climate categories: arid, semi-arid and north of the Tropic of Capricorn, a latitudinal line that runs through Rockhampton's southern suburbs (perhaps that headline-writer wasn't so far off after all). Regional coastal cities such as Townsville and Cairns aren't the outback but Broken Hill, in Far West NSW, is part of the mysterious landscape that lies somewhere beyond the 'back of Bourke'.
