- Beta Draconis (Wikipedia)
Beta Draconis (β Draconis, abbreviated Beta Dra, β Dra) is a binary star system and the third-brightest star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Draco. The two components are designated Beta Draconis A (officially named Rastaban /ˈræstəbæn/, “head to sole of foot”, the traditional name of the system) and B respectively. With a combined apparent visual magnitude of 2.79, it is bright enough to be easily seen with the naked eye. Based upon parallax measurements from the Hipparcos astrometry satellite, it lies at a distance of about 380 light-years (120 parsecs) from the Sun. The system is drifting closer with a radial velocity of −21 km/s.
- Émile Zola (Wikipedia)
Émile Édouard Charles Antoine Zola (/ˈzoʊlə/, also US: /zoʊˈlɑː/, French: [emil zɔla]; 2 April 1840 – 29 September 1902) was a French novelist, journalist, playwright, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of naturalism, and an important contributor to the development of theatrical naturalism. He was a major figure in the political liberalization of France and in the exoneration of the falsely accused and convicted army officer Alfred Dreyfus, which is encapsulated in his renowned newspaper opinion headlined J’Accuse…! Zola was nominated for the first and second Nobel Prize in Literature in 1901 and 1902.