aberration: Astigmatism, unlike spherical aberration and coma, results from the failure of a single zone of a lens to focus the image of an off-axis point at a single point. As shown in the three-dimensional schematic the two planes at right angles to one another passing…

āstika, in Indian philosophy, any orthodox school of thought, defined as one that accepts the authority of the Vedas (sacred scriptures of ancient India); the superiority of the Brahmans (the class of priests), who are the expositors of the law (dharma); and a society made up of the four

dravya: …recognize the existence of five astikayas (eternal categories of being) which together make up the dravya (substance) of existence. These five are dharma, adharma, akasha, pudgala, and jiva. Dharma is

Astilbe, genus of about 14 species of herbaceous perennials, in the family Saxifragaceae, native to eastern Asia and North America. They are often grown in gardens for their erect, featherlike flower spikes of white, yellow, pink, magenta, or purple, which rise above clumps of fernlike leaves from

Astilbe: A. chinensis, up to 60 cm (2 feet) in height, has produced several hybrids with dwarf habit and more intense colours. The smaller A. simplicifolia, less than 30 cm (1 foot), has starlike white flowers on slender spikes. A. japonica and its hybrids constitute the…

Astilbe: A. japonica and its hybrids constitute the florist’s spirea, some with variegated leaves and larger flowers, densely packed on the spikes.

Saxifragaceae: Leaves of Astilbe philippinensis are used in northern Luzon, Philippines, for smoking. The rhizomes of Chinese bergenia (Bergenia purpurascens) are used in Chinese medicine to stop bleeding and to serve as a tonic. Heartleaf foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) of North America is used in folk medicine as a…

Astilbe: The smaller A. simplicifolia, less than 30 cm (1 foot), has starlike white flowers on slender spikes. A. japonica and its hybrids constitute the florist’s spirea, some with variegated leaves and larger flowers, densely packed on the spikes.

Juan Carlos Onetti: …major novel, El astillero (1961; The Shipyard), an antihero named Larsen returns to Santa María to try to revive a useless and abandoned shipyard, ending his life in futility and unheroic defeat. The book has been viewed as an ironic allegory reflecting the decay and breakdown of Uruguayan society. The…

Helen Keller: …Anne Bancroft as Sullivan and Patty Duke as Keller, that won two Academy Awards.

Astipálaia, island, westernmost of the Greek Dodecanese islands, Aegean Sea, between Amorgós and Cos (Modern Greek: Kos). It constitutes a dímos (municipality) in the South Aegean (Nótio Aigaío) periféreia (region), southeastern Greece. The island comprises two mountain masses linked by a narrow

Icelandic literature: Prose: …his novels from that period—Ástir samlyndra hjóna (1967; “The Love of a Harmoniously Married Couple”) and Anna (1969)—subjected contemporary Icelandic society and Iceland’s military relations with the United States to biting satiric attacks. His later works, the collection of short stories Hvað ereldi Guðs? (1970; “What Does God Eat?”)…

Andrew Ducrow: …chief performer at the famous Astley’s Amphitheatre, a permanent modern circus (1824–41). When Astley’s was destroyed by fire for the third time in 1841, Ducrow suffered a mental breakdown and died soon after.

Philip Astley was an English trick rider and theatrical manager who in 1770 in London created Astley’s Amphitheatre, considered the first modern circus ring. Astley was a horseman with a British dragoon regiment from about 1759 and at first was the sole performer in the Amphitheatre, specializing

Thea Astley was an Australian author, who in her fiction examined, usually satirically, the lives of morally and intellectually isolated people in her native country. Astley graduated from the University of Queensland in 1947 and taught English in Queensland (1944–48) and New South Wales (1948–67)

Thea Astley was an Australian author, who in her fiction examined, usually satirically, the lives of morally and intellectually isolated people in her native country. Astley graduated from the University of Queensland in 1947 and taught English in Queensland (1944–48) and New South Wales (1948–67)

cement: Strength: The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) specification requires tensile tests on a 1:3 cement-sand mortar and compressive tests on a 1:2.75 mortar. The British Standards Institution (BSI) gives as alternatives a compressive test on a 1:3 mortar or on a concrete specimen. An international…

Nicholas I: Personality: Or to refer to Astolphe, marquis de Custine, whose lasting literary fame rests on his denunciation of the Russia of Nicholas I: “Virgil’s Neptune…one could not be more emperor than he.” In short, Nicholas I came to represent autocracy personified: infinitely majestic, determined and powerful, hard as stone, and…

astome, any uniformly ciliated protozoan of the order Astomatida, commonly found in annelid worms and other invertebrates. As the name implies, this parasite has no mouth. Some astomes attach themselves to their hosts by suckers; others use various types of hooks or barbs. Asexual reproduction is

astome, any uniformly ciliated protozoan of the order Astomatida, commonly found in annelid worms and other invertebrates. As the name implies, this parasite has no mouth. Some astomes attach themselves to their hosts by suckers; others use various types of hooks or barbs. Asexual reproduction is

Steven Gerrard: …manager of the English club Aston Villa. He was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2006.

Francis William Aston was a British physicist who won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1922 for his discovery of a large number of isotopes (atoms of the same element that differ in mass), using a mass spectrometer, and for formulating the “whole number rule” that isotopes have masses that are

Ben Okri: Okri’s other novels included Astonishing the Gods (1995); Dangerous Love (1996), about “star-crossed” lovers in postcolonial Nigeria; In Arcadia (2002); Starbook (2007); The Age of Magic (2014); and The Freedom Artist (2019).

Astor family, wealthy American family whose fortune, rooted in the fur trade, came to be centred on real estate investments in New York City. John Jacob Astor (1763–1848) was the founder of the family fortune. His son, William Backhouse Astor (1792–1875), who inherited the major portion of the

Nancy Witcher Astor, Viscountess Astor was the first woman to sit in the British House of Commons, known in public and private life for her great energy and wit. In 1897 she married Robert Gould Shaw of Boston, from whom she was divorced in 1903, and in 1906 she married Waldorf Astor,

John Jacob Astor was a British journalist and great-great-grandson of the U.S. fur magnate John Jacob Astor; as chief proprietor of The Times of London (1922–66), he maintained the newspaper’s leading position in British journalism. He was the second son of the 1st Viscount Astor (before his

William Charles Macready: …Macbeth by Macready at the Astor Place Opera House in New York City, Forrest’s partisans tried to storm the theatre and thus started a riot in which more than 20 persons were killed and from which Macready narrowly escaped with his life. He returned to England for his farewell performances…

William Charles Macready: …Macbeth by Macready at the Astor Place Opera House in New York City, Forrest’s partisans tried to storm the theatre and thus started a riot in which more than 20 persons were killed and from which Macready narrowly escaped with his life. He returned to England for his farewell performances…

Indus River: Physical features: A short distance downstream the Astor River, running off the eastern slope of Nanga Parbat, joins as a left-bank tributary. The Indus then flows west and turns south and southwest to enter Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in the process skirting around the northern and western sides of the Nanga Parbat massif…

Brooke Russell Astor was an American socialite, philanthropist, and writer, who employed her position, wealth, and energies in the interest of cultural enrichment and the poor. The daughter of a U.S. Marine Corps officer and a socialite, young Brooke’s early years were spent on Marine posts in

Caroline Webster Schermerhorn Astor was the doyenne of American high society in the latter half of the 19th century, who held the ground of “old money” in the face of changing times and values. Caroline Schermerhorn was the daughter of a wealthy merchant and had colonial Dutch aristocracy on both

Astor family: John Jacob Astor (1864–1912) was a cousin of William Waldorf Astor and a great-grandson of the fur trader who had founded the family fortune. An inventor and a science fiction novelist, he was also responsible for building several great New York City hotels: the Astoria…

Astor family: John Jacob Astor (1822–90), son of William Backhouse Astor, increased the fortune to between $75 million and $100 million. He was a more active philanthropist than his predecessors, making substantial gifts to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Trinity Church as well as to the…

John Jacob Astor was a fur magnate and founder of a renowned family of Anglo-American capitalists, business leaders, and philanthropists. His American Fur Company is considered the first American business monopoly. Astor started a fur-goods shop in New York City about 1786 after learning about the

John Jacob Astor was a British journalist and great-great-grandson of the U.S. fur magnate John Jacob Astor; as chief proprietor of The Times of London (1922–66), he maintained the newspaper’s leading position in British journalism. He was the second son of the 1st Viscount Astor (before his

Mary Astor was an American motion-picture and stage actress noted for her delicate, classic beauty and a renowned profile that earned her the nickname “The Cameo Girl.” With the ability to play a variety of characters ranging from villains to heroines to matrons, Astor worked in film from the

Nancy Witcher Astor, Viscountess Astor was the first woman to sit in the British House of Commons, known in public and private life for her great energy and wit. In 1897 she married Robert Gould Shaw of Boston, from whom she was divorced in 1903, and in 1906 she married Waldorf Astor,

Nancy Witcher Astor, Viscountess Astor was the first woman to sit in the British House of Commons, known in public and private life for her great energy and wit. In 1897 she married Robert Gould Shaw of Boston, from whom she was divorced in 1903, and in 1906 she married Waldorf Astor,

Astor family: Vincent Astor (1891–1959), son of the John Jacob Astor who built the well-known hotels, departed markedly from Astor family conservatism. He sold some Astor-owned properties to New York City under generous terms so that they might be converted into housing projects. In addition, he backed…

Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor was a member of Parliament (1910–19) and an agricultural expert whose Cliveden home was a meeting place during the late 1930s for Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and supporters of his policy of “appeasement” toward Adolf Hitler. He was the elder son of William

Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor was a member of Parliament (1910–19) and an agricultural expert whose Cliveden home was a meeting place during the late 1930s for Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and supporters of his policy of “appeasement” toward Adolf Hitler. He was the elder son of William

John Jacob Astor: His son, William Backhouse Astor (1792–1875), greatly expanded the family real-estate holdings, building more than 700 stores and dwellings in New York City. The wealthiest person in the U.S. at the time of his death, the senior Astor bequeathed $400,000 for the founding of a public library,…

Hever Castle: …1903 by the American multimillionaire William Waldorf Astor. He spent a fortune and hired an army of craftsmen in restoring it, making it opulently comfortable inside and creating beautiful formal gardens with an ample lake. He also built a Tudor-style village just across the moat to make more room for…

Astorga, city, León provincia (province), in the Castile-León comunidad autónoma (autonomous community), northwestern Spain, on the left bank of the Tuerto River on a spur of the Manzanal mountain chain. It originated as the Roman Asturica Augusta (called a “magnificent city” by Pliny) and was an

Emanuele d’ Astorga was a composer known for his dignified and moving Stabat Mater (c. 1707) and for his chamber cantatas, of which about 170 survive. Astorga belonged to a family of Spanish descent that won a barony in Sicily in the 17th century. The family eventually settled in Palermo. Astorga’s

Nora Astorga was a Nicaraguan revolutionary and diplomat. Astorga took part in the revolution that overthrew the regime of Anastasio Somoza Debayle in 1979 and later served (1986–88) as Nicaragua’s chief delegate to the United Nations (UN). Astorga studied sociology at the Catholic University of

José Mujica: …one of his chief competitors, Danilo Astori, a fellow senator and former finance minister, eventually joined the ticket as the vice presidential candidate. During the campaign, Mujica was the front-runner, but his guerrilla past—which he was at pains to show was well behind him—stirred controversy, as did his public criticism…

Washington Irving: …Tour of the Prairies (1835), Astoria (1836), and The Adventures of Captain Bonneville (1837). Except for four years (1842–46) as minister to Spain, Irving spent the remainder of his life at his home, “Sunnyside,” in Tarrytown, on the Hudson River, where he devoted himself to literary pursuits.

Astoria, city, seat (1844) of Clatsop county, northwestern Oregon, U.S., on the south bank of the Columbia River (there bridged to Megler, Washington) near its mouth on the Pacific Ocean. It is near the site of Oregon’s first military establishment, Fort Clatsop, built by the Lewis and Clark

Astoria Bridge, truss bridge spanning the mouth of the Columbia River between the states of Oregon and Washington, western United States. It was designed by William A. Bugee and at its completion in 1966, it was the longest continuous-truss bridge in the world. The bridge, stretching from Astoria,

Astoria Canyon, submarine canyon and fan-valley system of the Pacific continental margin, off the coast of Oregon, U.S. The canyon’s head is in water about 330 feet (100 metres) deep, 11 miles (18 km) west of the mouth of the Columbia River. The canyon crosses the seaward half of the continental

Astoria: Astoria Column (1926, restored 1995), 125 feet (38 metres) high on Coxcomb Hill, 700 feet (213 metres) above the river, commemorates the settlement of the Pacific Northwest with a 535-foot- (163-metre-) long spiral sgrafitto frieze modeled on Trajan’s Column in Rome. Fort Astoria has been…

Astoria Bridge, truss bridge spanning the mouth of the Columbia River between the states of Oregon and Washington, western United States. It was designed by William A. Bugee and at its completion in 1966, it was the longest continuous-truss bridge in the world. The bridge, stretching from Astoria,

At the Mountains of Madness: …and then serially published in Astounding Stories in 1936.

At the Mountains of Madness: …and then serially published in Astounding Stories in 1936.

Vance Brand: …named command pilot for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP).

asteroid: Early discoveries: …fifth asteroid, which he named Astraea.

John Dryden: Youth and education: …welcoming him, publishing in June Astraea Redux, a poem of more than 300 lines in rhymed couplets. For the coronation in 1661, he wrote To His Sacred Majesty. These two poems were designed to dignify and strengthen the monarchy and to invest the young monarch with an aura of majesty,…

molding: Single curved: (7) An astragal is a small torus. (8) An apophyge molding is a small, exaggerated cavetto.

Fabales: Ecological and economic importance: …belonging to the large genus Astragalus. Species of Astragalus are commonly referred to as locoweed in North America because, following excessive consumption of these plants, cattle seem to become unmanageable and “go crazy” or “loco.” Astragalus is poisonous in any of three ways: by promoting selenium accumulation, through locoine, and…

artiodactyl: General structure: …of artiodactyls is that the astragalus, one of the bones in the ankle, has upper and lower rounded articulations (areas of contact of bones) and no constricted neck, instead of simply one rounded articulation above a neck, as in other mammals. This character is so basic to artiodactyls that it…

locoweed: A few are especially dangerous: woolly locoweed (Astragalus mollissimus), with woolly leaves and violet flowers; halfmoon milkvetch (A. wootonii), with whitish flowers; crazyweed, or purple loco (Oxytropis lambertii), with pink to purplish flowers; and the showy oxytropis (O. splendens), bearing silvery hairs and rich lavender-pink flowers.

locoweed: …woolly leaves and violet flowers; halfmoon milkvetch (A. wootonii), with whitish flowers; crazyweed, or purple loco (Oxytropis lambertii), with pink to purplish flowers; and the showy oxytropis (O. splendens), bearing silvery hairs and rich lavender-pink flowers.

Astrakhan, oblast (region), southwestern Russia. It occupies a low-lying area (much of it below sea level) along the lower Volga River and is bordered to the northeast by Kazakhstan. The Volga and its parallel distributary, the Akhtuba River, form the axis of the oblast, ending in a large delta on

Astrakhan, city and administrative centre of Astrakhan oblast (province), southwestern Russia. Astrakhan city is situated in the delta of the Volga River, 60 miles (100 km) from the Caspian Sea. It lies on several islands on the left bank of the main, westernmost channel of the Volga. Astrakhan was

Astrakhan: Astrakhan fur, from the karakul lamb of Central Asia, is so named because it was first brought to Russia by Astrakhan traders. There are medical and teacher-training institutes. Pop. (2006 est.) 498,953.

Tatar language: Kasimov, Tepter (Teptyar), and Astrakhan and Ural Tatar. Kazan Tatar is the literary language.

history of Central Asia: The Uzbeks: …and even more under the Ashtarkhanids (also known as Astrakhanids, Tuquy-Timurids, or Janids) who succeeded them during the 1600s, Central Asia experienced a decline in prosperity compared with the preceding Timurid period, in part because of a marked reduction in the transcontinental caravan trade following the opening of new oceanic…

omen, observed phenomenon that is interpreted as signifying good or bad fortune. In ancient times omens were numerous and varied and included, for instance, lightning, cloud movements, the flight of birds, and the paths of certain sacred animals. Within each type of sign were minor subdivisions,

nature worship: Stars and constellations: …of astronomy—was the origin of astral religions and myths that affected religions all over the world. Though the view is controversial, Mesopotamian astral worship and influence may have reached as far as Central and Andean America (by way of China or Polynesia). Sumerian, Elamite, and Hurrian contemplation of the stars…

Van Morrison: …a year later he released Astral Weeks, an album of astonishing originality and inventiveness that stretched the frontier of rock music. A cycle of extended semi-improvised songs with backing from an acoustic group including vibraharp, flute, guitar, bass, drums, and a small string section, it was neither rock nor folk…

bird-of-paradise: …species of long-tailed birds-of-paradise (Astrapia), males are shining black, sometimes with iridescent ruffs, and have long graduated tails of broad black or black-and-white feathers; total length may be 80 to 115 cm.

cardinal fish: Some, such as Astrapogon (or Apogonichthys) stellatus of the Caribbean, take shelter in the shells of living conchs. Cardinal fishes range from 5 to 20 cm (2 to 8 inches) in length and are characterized by two dorsal fins, a large mouth, large eyes, and large scales. Many…

agnathan: Annotated classification: †Order Astraspida Head covered with small mushroom-shaped plates, gill openings separate. 3 genera, 3 species. Late Ordovician to Early Silurian (461–428 million years ago). †Order Osteostraci Head covered in broad bony shield, undersurface of head covered with tiny scales, gill openings on undersurface, eyes dorsal, nostril…

AstraZeneca, British-Swedish biopharmaceutical company with medicine sales in more than 130 countries, making it one of the largest drug companies in the world. AstraZeneca’s main research and development areas include oncology, rare diseases, and biopharmaceutical intervention, and it has numerous

AstraZeneca, British-Swedish biopharmaceutical company with medicine sales in more than 130 countries, making it one of the largest drug companies in the world. AstraZeneca’s main research and development areas include oncology, rare diseases, and biopharmaceutical intervention, and it has numerous

Honoré d’ Urfé: …whose pastoral romance L’Astrée (1607–27; Astrea) was extremely popular in the 17th century and inspired many later writers.

grassland: Biota: …northern areas, and Astrebla (Mitchell grass) is prevalent in seasonally arid areas, especially on cracking clay soils in the east. Other grass species are usually subordinate but may dominate in spots. Woody plants, particularly Acacia in arid areas and Eucalyptus in moister places, may be so numerous that the…

Honoré d’ Urfé: …whose pastoral romance L’Astrée (1607–27; Astrea) was extremely popular in the 17th century and inspired many later writers.

Astrid Lindgren: The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, given for adolescent and children’s literature, was established in 2002.

Butare, town and educational centre, southern Rwanda. Before Rwanda’s independence in 1962, the town was called Astrida. It consists of the traditional housing areas of Ngoma and Matyazo, the former colonial settlement, and a newer commercial section with a nearby airstrip. Butare, the third

astringent, any of a group of substances that cause the contraction or shrinkage of tissues and that dry up secretions. Astringents are usually classified into three groups according to their mode of action: (1) those that decrease the blood supply by narrowing the small blood vessels (e.g.,

aerospace industry: Mergers and divestitures: …joint venture under the name Astrium, 50 percent of which was owned by Aerospatiale Matra and BAE Systems and 50 percent by Dasa. Astrium was the first trinational space company, with facilities in France, Germany, and Great Britain. Its activities covered the whole spectrum of the space business, from ground…

Guardians of the Galaxy: …to Earth, where they meet Vance Astro, a 20th-century astronaut who emerged from cryogenic suspension with powerful psychokinetic abilities, and Yondu, a humanoid native of Alpha Centauri. The quartet adopts the collective name the Guardians of the Galaxy and embarks on a mission to drive the Badoon from their strongholds…

Suzaku, is a Japanese-U.S. satellite observatory designed to observe celestial X-ray sources. Suzaku was launched on July 10, 2005, from the Uchinoura Space Center and means “the vermilion bird of the south” in Japanese. It was designed to complement the U.S. Chandra X-Ray Observatory and Europe’s

Akari, Japanese satellite observatory that carried a 67-cm (26-inch) near- to far-infrared telescope. On February 22, 2006, Akari (“Light” in Japanese) was launched from the Uchinoura Space Center in Japan. Its mission was to produce an infrared map of the entire sky that would improve on the map

astrobiology, a multidisciplinary field dealing with the nature, existence, and search for extraterrestrial life (life beyond Earth). Astrobiology encompasses areas of biology, astronomy, and geology. Although no compelling evidence of extraterrestrial life has yet been found, the possibility that

ostariophysan: Annotated classification: Family Astroblepidae (climbing catfishes) Mouth and fins modified for adhesion to rocks in mountain streams. Skin naked. Panama and South America. 1 genus, up to 54 species. Family Claroteidae (claroteids) Africa. 7 genera, up to 59 species.

palm: Economic importance: …palm genera (the black palm, Astrocaryum; the piassava palm, Attalea; the carnauba wax palm, Copernicia; Euterpe; Mauritia; and the babassu palm) was more than $100 million. Entrepreneurs recognized during the 1980s that several genera that have been utilized only from natural stands might be enhanced by the selection, cultivation, and…

palm: Ecology: …hombronii), or river margins (Astrocaryum jauari, Leopoldinia pulchra) where competition is limited.

palm: Ecology: Beetles are implicated in Astrocaryum mexicanum, Bactris, Cryosophila albida, Rhapidophyllum hystrix, and Socratea exorrhiza. Syrphus flies apparently pollinate Asterogyne martiana in Costa Rica, and drosophila flies are thought to pollinate the nipa palm in New Guinea. Bees pollinate several species (

Hitching a Ride: …bright orange fruits of the black palm (Astrocaryum standleyanum), for example, comprise a seed covered by a tough woody layer forming a nut, or stone, which is in turn covered by a layer of pulp. When the fruit ripens and drops to the forest floor, many animals come to eat…

geology: Chemistry of the Earth: …system, galaxy, and universe (cosmochemistry); the abundance of elements in the major divisions of the Earth, including the core, mantle, crust, hydrosphere, and atmosphere; the behaviour of ions in the structure of crystals; the chemical reactions in cooling magmas and the origin and evolution of deeply buried intrusive igneous…

astrocyte, star-shaped cell that is a type of neuroglia found in the nervous system in both invertebrates and vertebrates. Astrocytes can be subdivided into fibrous and protoplasmic types. Fibrous astrocytes are prevalent among myelinated nerve fibres in the white matter of the central nervous

Houston: The contemporary city: Farther southwest is Reliant Center (formerly the Astrodomain Complex), which has convention, sports, and entertainment facilities. Reliant Stadium (opened 2002) houses the city’s professional football team (the Texans) and events such as the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (February), the world’s largest. The nearby Astrodome (1965), the

Astrodome, the world’s first domed air-conditioned indoor stadium, built in Houston, Texas, in 1965 and arguably the city’s most important architectural structure. Conceived by Roy Mark Hofheinz (a former county judge and mayor of Houston, 1953–55) and designed by architects Hermon Lloyd and W.B.

geology: Astrogeology: Astrogeology is concerned with the geology of the solid bodies in the solar system, such as the asteroids and the planets and their moons. Research in this field helps scientists to better understand the evolution of the Earth in comparison with that of its…

telescope: Light gathering and resolution: …of refracting telescope is the astrograph, which usually has an objective diameter of approximately 20 cm (8 inches). The astrograph has a photographic plateholder mounted in the focal plane of the objective so that photographs of the celestial sphere can be taken. The photographs are usually taken on glass plates.…

Jean-François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse: …Boussole and accompanied by the Astrolabe, the explorers sailed from France on August 1, 1785. After rounding Cape Horn, La Pérouse made a stop in the South Pacific at Easter Island (April 9, 1786). Investigating tropical Pacific waters, he visited the Sandwich Islands (now Hawaii) and, with the object of…

astrolabe, any of a type of early scientific instrument used for reckoning time and for observational purposes. One widely employed variety, the planispheric astrolabe, enabled astronomers to calculate the position of the Sun and prominent stars with respect to both the horizon and the meridian. It