- New Guinea (Tok Pisin: Niugini; Hiri Motu: Niu Gini; Indonesian: Papua, fossilized Nugini, or historically Irian) is the world’s second-largest island, with an area of 785,753 km2 (303,381 sq mi). Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the 150-kilometre (81-nautical-mile; 93-mile) wide Torres Strait, though both landmasses lie on the same continental shelf, and were united during episodes of low sea level in the Pleistocene glaciations as the combined landmass of Sahul. Numerous smaller islands are located to the west and east. The island’s name was given by Spanish explorer Yñigo Ortiz de Retez during his maritime expedition of 1545 due to the resemblance of the indigenous peoples of the island to those in the African region of Guinea.
- Menkent (stars.astro.illinois.edu)
MENKENT (Theta Centauri). Centaurus is dominated by its two brightest stars, Rigil Kentaurus (Alpha Centauri, third brightest star in the sky and the nearest star to the Earth) and first magnitude Hadar (Beta Centauri). Though these two shine brilliantly to the lucky residents of the southern hemisphere, neither is visible from mid-northern latitudes, so if those that live there wish to know Centaurus, they must begin with the third brightest star in the constellation, Menkent, to which is assigned the rather lowly letter Greek letter Theta (Gamma Centauri rather oddly coming in second).