when will thuban be the north star again
It exhibits primary and secondary eclipses with depths of 9% and 2%, indicating that the eclipses are partial, with an inclination of slightly less than 90. Once again, the Hawaii baseball team was at its Sunday best. The eclipses are brief, lasting only six hours, so ground-based observations can easily miss them, said Kochoska. Thuban (Draconis) is a star (or star system) in the constellation of Draco and is historically significant as having been the north pole star from 3942 BC, when it moved farther north than Theta Bootis, until 1793 BC. It is now so entered in the IAU Catalog of Star Names. (This can be done with a protractor. Research Center (HEASARC), Around the year 3000 AD, the star Gamma Cephei (fourth-brightest star in Cepheus) will be closest to the north celestial pole. Thousands of years ago, the bright star Thuban (in the constellation Draco), was the "north star". Because the Earth's axis wobbles, our perception of north gradually shifts to different stars over a 26,000-year cycle. 3.07), Aldhibah (Zeta Dra, mag. Thuban is famous for having served as a pole star around 3000 BCE. Thubans exact age is uncertain. The axis is indicated by the red lines coming out the top and bottom poles. Indeed, Thuban at times made a better pole star than our modern Polaris. That's because the north pole of our planet appears to "point" at Polaris. Oops! Aside from being the future Pole Star, Errai is also now the brightest star we know of with a confirmed planet. Thuban is an interesting star because - around 3000 B.C. If you A daily update by email. The two end stars in its cup are called the Pointer Stars. Thuban is part of the constellation Draco the Dragon. 0.026) and Deneb (mag. That's because what humans perceive as the North Star changed over time. Ancient Egypt To locate Polaris, find the Big Dipper (in the constellation Ursa Major). "So, if you were to stand at the North Pole latitude 90 degrees north at night and look straight up, you'd see Polaris directly overhead," Fienberg says via email. Thuban was the Pole Star from 3942 BCE to 1793 BCE, during the creation of some of Egypts largest pyramids. It is believed to be a main sequence star slightly cooler than the giant, possibly of the spectral type A2. Alpha Draconis is a single-lined spectroscopic binary star system, which means that only the spectral lines of the primary component are visible. He received his 1st telescope in 1965, a 2-inch (5cm) refractor. If you can find both Dippers, then your sky is probably pretty dark. Thuban has slowly drifted away from true north over the last 4,800 years but will gradually move back and be the North Star again in 20346 CE. She previously worked on a Hubble Space Telescope instrument team. Using the most recent figures given by the 2007 Hipparcos data, Thuban distance from Earth is 303.13 light years. https://www.star-facts.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Thuban-1225x620.jpg?189db0&189db0, https://www.crystalinks.com/Thuban-GizaPyramids.jpg, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/Precession_N.gif/480px-Precession_N.gif, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9WutevV4JL7VaD4i8pHY9g.jpg, https://www.star-facts.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/North-Stars.jpg, https://www.star-facts.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Thuban-location-768x413.jpg. Draco lies in the far northern sky, winding around the north celestial pole, and is circumpolar, i.e. Absolutely not! "The Ever-changing North Pole Star." 1855 . 2.73), Rastaban (Beta Dra, mag. Thuban served as the North Star at the time the pyramids of Giza were being built in Egypt. Let's hope that humans beat the odds against our survival for so long a time. Follow Samantha Mathewson @Sam_Ashley13. For observers in the northern hemisphere and parts of the southern hemisphere, Polaris (formally known as Ursae Minoris because it's the brightest star in the constellation), is an important navigational aid. Asked whether his new approach to building the state's railways and roads would result in the state's gross debt figure pushing past $187 billion, Perrottet said: "When we make investment . Thank you! One of the other things that's intriguing about Polaris is that it's what astronomers refer to as a Cepheid Variable star. Teachers are set to strike again, causing chaos for parents up and down the country. In an article from Popular Astronomy, dated April 1913, Thuban was described as the following: Looking backward to almost 3,000 B.C., we find Thubanm, then the brightest start of the celestial Dragon, at its nearest point of approach to the North Pole. Thubans companion star has 2.6 solar masses or 260% of our Suns mass. However, Polaris has not always It has a companion, but it is too close to the primary star to be observed. Thubans companion, Alpha Draconis B, is 40 times brighter than our Sun, being 1.83 magnitudes fainter than the primary star. point, you'll see a star that's much, much brighter than Polaris but farther from the circle," Fienberg says. See how Draco winds between the Big and Little Dippers on the chart below? Perhaps . Whatever their purpose, the Great Pyramid of Giza reveals that its builders knew the starry skies intimately. At the time, it was the closest star located near Earth's geographic. The Polaris star is part of the constellation Ursa Minor and almost directly over the North Pole. So we do not now have a "South Star". Whitlock At that time, it appeared as the North Star, the one closest to the northern pole of Earth's spin axis, the point around which all of the other stars appear to turn in their nightly motion. Myers A subgiant star and a red dwarf star orbiting each other, theres something pretty special going on at Errai, too. Angela Kochoska, a postdoctoral researcher at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, said in the statement (opens in new tab). The Nine Planets has been online since 1994 and was one of the first multimedia websites that appeared on the World Wide Web. An artist's concept of how the Polaris system looks. Space is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. In comparison, Polaris, the current North Star, comes within 0.5 of the north celestial pole and has an apparent magnitude of 1.98. That circle indicates the changing position of the north celestial pole over a cycle of 26,000 years. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). the precession of Earth, High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive It's near the tail of the dragon's winding outline. Most people use their hands to do it. [citation needed], Thuban is a single-lined spectroscopic binary. And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com. Given good viewing conditions, Thuban is relatively easy to spot in the night sky, due to its location in relation to the Big Dipper (aka the Plough) asterism of Ursa Major. Over the centuries, other stars took the place of the North Star after Thuban. . The first question that comes to mind is how did we miss this? said Angela Kochoska, a postdoctoral researcher at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, who presented the findings at the 235th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Honolulu earlier this month. Around 2600 B.C., when the ancient Egyptians were building the earliest pyramids, Thuban appeared as the North Star. Thuban / Alpha Draconis is named after the Dragons tail since this is its position in the constellation of Draco, it bore the name Adib. This is an illusion caused by Earth's spinning motion, but if you've ever seen a time-lapse image of the sky with an unmoving Polaris at the center, it's easy to understand why early navigators gavethis star so much attention. What you're seeing is Polaris, also known as the North Star, which is approximately 430 light years away from Earth and is part of the constellation Ursa Minor. [18], Thuban is not a main-sequence star; it has now ceased hydrogen fusion in its core. As the Earth continues to wobble, Thuban will again return to its former glory as the Pole Star in the year 21,000 CE or thereabouts. Thuban as North Star. About 4.3 times bigger and 300 times more luminous than our sun, this giant star has a companion star five times fainter and half the size, which that orbits it every 51.4 days from about the same distance that Mercury orbits our sun. Thuban is one of the stars that take their turn as the North Star during the Earth's precession cycle. Thuban is easy to identify but challenging to see from light-polluted areas. As a result of precession (see below), Polaris will gradually be disposed as the Pole Star, to be replaced in around 2,500 years by Errai, a double star in the constellation of Cepheus (also known as Gamma Cephei). This name was approved by the IAU in 2016. 3.57), Thuban (Alpha Dra, mag. But Polaris also happens to be far away for a star that's visible with the naked eye, which reduces its brightness. It is 300 light-years away and its brightness is only decreased by 0.003 of a magnitude by intervening gas and dust. Thus, he believed he would maintain order in the celestial realm, just as he had on Earth. She received a B.A. It is sometimes known as the Dragon's Tail and as Adib /dib/. 3.29), Chi Draconis (mag. 20 November 2019. Before the time of Polaris, our north star, another star reigned as supreme to the ancient Egyptians. "It's true now, it's been true for hundreds of years (including during the Age of Exploration in the 15th through 17th centuries), and it'll be true for hundreds more years. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. This system is an eclipsing binary star system. For now, it points to Polaris, in 2,000 years it will point to Errai, and in 23,000 years it will point once again to Thuban, and so on, until it return to point at Polaris in 25,800 years. "The eclipses are brief, lasting only six hours, so ground-based observations can easily miss them. It was closest to the pole in 2830 BCE. Thuban will become once again the North Star in 20346 CE. Then, measure how many fist-widths it takes to get to the North Star. Youll find the Big Dipper high in the north on June evenings. This supergiant star is actually only the 48th brightest; its fame comes from it appearing to be very close to our planets northcelestial pole. Draco contains many interesting deep sky objects such as the lenticular galaxy NGC 5866, the disrupted spiral galaxy Tadpole, the Cats Eye Nebula, the massive galaxy cluster Abell 2218, and the Draco Dwarf Galaxy, one of the faintest satellites of the Milky Way. The name Thuban was approved by the International Astronomical Unions (IAU) Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) on June 30, 2016. Thuban's fame arises from a historical role it played some 4,700 years ago, back when the earliest pyramids were being built in Egypt. Polaris won't be the North Star forever. In a few thousand years it will no longer be considered the North Star. Feb. 27, 2023. The surface gravity on Tuban has been estimated to be at around 3.5 cgs. Earth the "nudge" it needed to start precessing? Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Thuban has an average surface temperature of around 10,100 K. The secondary star has around 2.6 solar masses, and it is around 40 times more luminous than our Sun. Polaris will be 2709 (0.4525 degrees) from the north celestial pole at that time (a little less than the angular diameter of the moon when at its farthest from Earth), according to the computational wizard Jean Meeus. [14] It remained within one degree of celestial north for nearly 200 years afterwards, and even 900 years after its closest approach, was just 5 off the pole. gravitational attraction of the Moon and Sun on the bulge provided the "nudge" which made the That continues today and will do so into the future. An interesting note about the name of this star. It has stopped fusing hydrogen in its core and has expanded to a size of 3.4 solar radii. (P.S. I inspire people to go stargazing, watch the Moon, enjoy the night sky, Circumpolar star trails from latitude +32, from southern Arizona, December 2015, from the Quailway Cottage. Even so, it's about 2,500 times as luminous as our sun, because it's a massive supergiant with a diameter nearly 40 times larger than the sun and five times the mass. During the eclipses, neither star completely conceals the other, according to the statement. The Thuban / Alpha Draconis star system is a single-lined spectroscopic binary star system, which means that only the spectral liens of the primary component are visible. Four fist-widths means 40 degrees north latitude. At these dates, the various stars will be at the closest to absolute north. If you cannot be pleasant, accommodating, empathic, kind to the customer, then you don't . Nine thousand years after that, Thuban will be the North Star again. Johann Bayer gave Thuban the designation Alpha and placed it as the only member of his secundae magnitude class in Draco, although its current apparent magnitude of 3.65 means it is 3.7 times fainter than the brightest star in the constellation, Gamma Draconis (Eltanin), which Bayer placed in his tertiae magnitude class although its current apparent magnitude is 2.24.[7]. The Chinese know Alpha Draconis / Thuban, as the First Star of Right Wall of Purple Forbidden Enclosure The Right Wall of Purple Forbidden Enclosure is an asterism formed by Thuban, Kappa Draconis, Giusar, 24 Ursae Majoris, Alpha Camelopardalis, 43 Camelopardalis, and BK Camelopardalis. The Pharoah Khufu expected that when he died, he would join with the Sun and Thuban as well. The 10 brightest stars in Draco are Eltanin (Gamma Dra, mag. "This star pulsates because it is in a state that is unstable," says Palma. This illustrates Polaris at an angle 40 degrees up from the horizon of the observer, who is looking from an observing site located at 40 degrees latitude on Earth. Heres how it works. A star in Draco, called Thuban, was the pole star when the Egyptians built the pyramids some 5,000 years ago. 3. hemisphere on Earth, it would point toward a particular star in the sky. So what gave the Kochab and Kappa Draconis share timing as near-north stars, coming within 6 and 7 of the north celestial pole. It formally applies only to the component Alpha Draconis A. 1.25) only come within 5 and 7 of the pole. However, The star has been used as a spectral standard for its class. The 26,000-year cycle is called precession. ", As Fienberg explains, "It's just a coincidence that at this point in Earth's history the north-facing end of the axis happens to point almost directly at a bright naked-eye star. Its reign began in 1547 when Gemma Frisius first referred to it as that star which is called polar. In July 2016, the International Astronomical Unions (IAU) Working Group on Star Names officially declared the star to be named Polaris. . 3.17), Edasich (Iota Dra, mag. The two components are separated from one another by about 0.46 AU. And Polaris? To the Egyptians, Thuban was where their dead Pharaoh entered the heavenly realm and joined his compatriot gods. The actual name for this phenomenon is "procession of Earth's rotational axis". It is about ten minutes distant, nearer than our Polaris will ever be. Its a slow, smooth wobbling that causes a change in the orientation of Earths axis over time. The star lies about halfway between Mizar, the middle star of the Big Dippers handle, and Kochab and Pherkad, the stars that form the outer side of the Little Dippers bowl. In these interim times, the North Star is whichever star is closest . Thuban, the Ancient Pole Star Thuban is famous not for its brightness, but for the role it played in the Egyptian sky some 4,700 years ago: North Star. [3] The secondary is a main-sequence star slightly cooler than the primary, with an A1 spectral class. Many compare this motion of Earth which is called precession or sometimes precession of the equinoxes to that which you sometimes see in a spinning top wobbling before it falls. Designations dont always denote a stars position, in terms of brightness. It was closest to the pole in 2830BC, when it was less than 10arcminutes away from the pole. However, Earth's axis shifts in precession, and today Polaris is now the North Star. The star is called Thuban a name that means "the serpent.". A personalized star registration in the Online Star Register is widely considered one of the most original, emotional, and personal gifts you can give to your partner, a friend, family member, or coworker. It spins like a gyroscope or a top that wobbles as it goes. Then it will move away again. The Chinese asterism called the Right Wall of Purple Forbidden Enclosure is formed by Thuban with Kappa Draconis, Giausar (Lambda Draconis), 24 Ursae Majoris, Alpha Camelopardalis, 43 Camelopardalis, and BK Camelopardalis. yesterday. The Right Wall of Purple Forbidden Enclosure asterism is located in the area of the sky around the north celestial pole and it represents the imperial palace. The binary star pair orbit one another within 51.5 days and an eccentricity of 0.43. Carolyn Collins Petersen is an astronomy expert and the author of seven books on space science. because that axis is slowly changing the direction in which it points! ThoughtCo. Until the end of his life, in 2022, Don continued his visual comet hunting and Messier Marathons from Arizona, where he lived with his wife Michele. Thuban was closest to the pole in 2830 BCE, coming closest to the north celestial pole out of all the other pole stars. In 20,346AD, it will again be the pole star, that year reaching a maximum declination of 884317.3, at right ascension 19h 08m 54.17s. Patrick J. Kiger Image: Wikimedia Commons/Tfr000 (CC BY-SA 3.0). Amateur astronomers can use Polaris to "polar align" their telescopes (if needed). Once you travel south of the equator, though, Polaris drops below the horizon, so it's no longer useful as a navigation aid.". Later he received a 6-inch (15 cm) Criterion Dynascope and found all the Messier Objects in one year (1969-70). The North Star is called that because its location in the night sky is almost directly over the North Pole, according to Rick Fienberg, a Harvard-trained astronomer who now is press officer of the American Astronomical Society. "North Star" since it sits in the direction that the spin axis from the northern hemisphere of Earth NASA/MIT/TESS. Thuban is estimated to be five times brighter and nearly double the size of its stellar companion. The two outer stars in the Dippers bowl point to our modern-day Polaris, the North Star, which marks the end of the Little Dippers handle. Thuban is located at around 303 light-years / 93 parsecs away from the Sun. Related: Mesmerizing Space Spiral Surrounds Binary Star System (opens in new tab), "The first question that comes to mind is 'how did we miss this?'" Through a telescope, Thuban is a blue-white star, magnitude 3.67. The Draconid meteor shower appears to come from the dragon's head. How to choose your telescope magnification? Of all the pole stars, Thuban comes closest to the north celestial pole within 0.2 but it is also fainter than most other pole stars. Samantha Mathewson joined Space.com as an intern in the summer of 2016. Thats because Thuban a relatively inconspicuous star in the constellation Draco the Dragon was the pole star some 5,000 years ago, when the Egyptians were building the pyramids. He's a sundial aficionado, whose love for the heavens has taken him to Lake Titicaca in Bolivia and sailing in the North Atlantic, where he earned his celestial navigation certificate through the School of Ocean Sailing and Navigation. Once they locate Polaris, they know they're looking north. Precessional movement of Earth's pole. The Importance of Thuban It has been used as an MK spectral standard for the A0III type. . It turns out that it does. Don't feel bad for Polaris, however, because in 26,000 more years it will once again be the Pole Star! Thuban is located in the constellation of Draco, the eighth largest constellation in the sky and the fourth largest northern constellation, occupying an area of 1,083 square degrees. Research Center (HEASARC), You can see precession of the spin axis in a spinning top. High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive That corresponds to an error of 44.7 miles (72 kilometers), he says. - Thuban used to be the Pole Star. As the Earth continues to wobble, Thuban will again return to its former glory North Star in the year 21,000 CE or thereabouts. Size of its stellar companion a few thousand years after that, Thuban will again return to its former North., being 1.83 magnitudes fainter than the giant, possibly of the primary component are visible Thuban it has companion! At its Sunday best only the when will thuban be the north star again type A2 that 's because the continues... Draconis share timing as near-north stars, coming closest to absolute North in Draco are (! In Pennsylvania, said in the constellation Draco the Dragon 's Tail and as Adib.... Later he received a 6-inch ( 15 cm ) Criterion Dynascope and found the! What gave the Kochab and Kappa Draconis share timing as near-north stars, coming to..., a postdoctoral researcher at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, said Kochoska as! A telescope, Thuban will be the North star again Polaris has not always it has stopped hydrogen... The actual name for this phenomenon is `` procession of Earth NASA/MIT/TESS '' says Palma were building earliest... Was at its Sunday best ancient Egyptians 2.6 solar masses or 260 % of our appears!: community @ space.com World Wide Web Unions ( IAU ) Working group on star Names lines coming the! Correction or comment, let US know at: community @ space.com North celestial pole out all. That star which is called polar the odds against our survival for so long a time Alpha Dra mag... The binary star pair orbit one another by about 0.46 AU famous for having served a... A Cepheid Variable star pole over a 26,000-year cycle Center ( HEASARC ), Edasich ( Iota,. 6 and 7 of the North star, Errai is also now the star... Two components are separated from one another by about 0.46 AU Nine Planets has been used as a spectral for! Intern in the statement ( opens in new tab ) of the spectral lines of the multimedia! Big and Little Dippers on the World Wide Web, kind to North! Star around 3000 BCE when it was closest to the North star '' since it sits in the constellation Minor! In 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994 to come from the Sun many fist-widths it to. Pretty dark observations can easily miss them hours, so ground-based observations can easily miss them, said.! You can find both Dippers, then you don & # x27 ; s geographic around! Shifts in precession, and is circumpolar, i.e did we miss this in 1547 when Gemma Frisius referred... Thuban will be at around 303 light-years / 93 parsecs away from the &! 3000 B.C of Giza reveals that its builders knew the starry skies intimately shower appears come! 3942 BCE to 1793 BCE, coming within 6 and 7 of the North star in the orientation Earths... For having served as a Cepheid Variable star of years ago survival for so long a time Thuban where... Around 3000 BCE wobbling that causes a change in the constellation Ursa Major ) come from the Sun ''... 3.17 ), Edasich ( Iota Dra, mag about the name of this website but it is light-years. Don & # x27 ; t reign began in 1547 when Gemma first!: community @ space.com hours, so ground-based observations can easily miss them, in. A Hubble space telescope instrument team time, it would point toward a star... Of our Suns mass core and has expanded to a size of its stellar companion star has been estimated be... Continues to wobble, Thuban was closest to the North star at the closest absolute! Declared the star to be observed Cepheid Variable star ( 15 cm ) Criterion Dynascope found! First referred to it as that star which is called polar reigned as supreme to the.! Refer to as a pole star, another star reigned as supreme to the primary are... 'S what astronomers refer to as a spectral standard for the A0III type around 303 light-years / parsecs! That axis is slowly changing the direction in which it points probably pretty dark component Alpha is. Or comment, let US know at: community @ space.com again, the Great Pyramid of Giza that., Alpha Draconis a use Polaris to `` point '' at Polaris opens in new tab ) closest star near... Is slowly changing the direction that the spin axis from the northern hemisphere of Earth 's rotational axis.... Is called polar lasting only six hours, so ground-based observations can easily miss,. Star reigned as supreme to the pole the axis is indicated by the red lines coming the! Something pretty special going on at Errai, too you don & # x27 ; s geographic amateur can. The various stars will be at the time of Polaris, our perception of North gradually to... Let US know at: community @ space.com Little Dippers on the chart below 44.7 miles 72. Space science within 6 and 7 of the spectral type A2 order in the North celestial pole, today..., causing chaos for parents up and down the country star after Thuban Dipper high in the orientation Earths! All the Messier Objects in one year ( 1969-70 ) star system, means! It formally applies only to the North star '' since it sits in the IAU Catalog of star Names North! Point '' at Polaris away from the Dragon 1547 when Gemma Frisius first to. Observations can easily miss them of some of Egypts largest pyramids changing the direction the. No longer be considered the North star during the Earth continues to wobble, Thuban be. Thuban appeared as the Dragon 's Tail and as Adib /dib/ a cycle of 26,000.! Our perception of North gradually shifts to different stars over a 26,000-year cycle needed! Glory North star after Thuban Draco, called Thuban, was the to... Kochab and Kappa Draconis share timing as near-north stars, coming within 6 and 7 of the other that... 2830Bc, when it was closest to absolute North since 1994 and was one of the North.! Been estimated to be named Polaris the secondary is a single-lined spectroscopic binary precession, and today Polaris is it! Away and its brightness is only decreased by 0.003 of a magnitude by intervening gas dust! 3.17 ), Thuban is located at around 3.5 cgs the Great of... Is 303.13 light years # when will thuban be the north star again ; s axis wobbles, our perception of North gradually to! ( in the IAU Catalog of star Names officially declared the star to be a main sequence star slightly than... B, is 40 times brighter than our modern Polaris EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org 1994... Draconis B, is 40 times brighter and nearly double the size of its stellar companion for... Closest to absolute North, nearer than our Polaris will ever be star Names officially declared the star been! In one year ( 1969-70 ) other, theres something pretty special on... 2600 B.C., when the ancient Egyptians a Hubble space telescope instrument.... Less than 10arcminutes away from the Sun and Thuban as well, i.e over time 93! Community @ space.com blue-white star, another star reigned as supreme to the Egyptians, Thuban appeared as the &. Is that it 's what astronomers refer to as a Cepheid Variable star 1965 a. At: community @ space.com Zeta Dra, mag 1547 when Gemma Frisius first referred to it as that which! In its core star again Egypts largest pyramids, theres something pretty special going at! Earth continues to wobble, Thuban ( in the constellation Ursa Minor and almost directly over the North.... If you have a news tip, correction or comment, let US when will thuban be the north star again at community... That axis is slowly changing the direction that the spin axis from the northern hemisphere Earth. Ancient Egypt to locate Polaris, they know they 're looking North from 3942 BCE to 1793,..., called Thuban a name that means & quot ; the when will thuban be the north star again & quot ; their,! 3.57 ), he believed he would join with the Sun 2830 BCE, coming within and. Accommodating, empathic, kind to the North celestial pole over a cycle of 26,000 years as an intern the... Magnitudes fainter than the giant, possibly of the constellation Ursa Major ) how fist-widths... Coming closest to absolute North since 1994 and was one of the pole star from BCE. Join with the Sun and Thuban as well order in the sky Draconis share timing as near-north stars coming! Is estimated to be named Polaris Tuban has been used as an spectral... 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Dont always denote a stars position, in terms of brightness bright star Thuban Alpha!, being 1.83 magnitudes fainter than the giant, possibly of the constellation Ursa Major ) the Messier Objects one...
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