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Sun

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Sun

Life without the Sun is one thing that you should not try to imagine…

  • The Sun is a star in the Solar System and Milky Way galaxy, that acts as Earth’s orbit point and provides Earth the ability to sustain life.
  • The Sun is made of plasma heated at extreme temperatures and primarily contains the elements hydrogen and helium, said to represent almost 73.5% and 25% of the star respectively; and the remaining elements include carbon, iron, oxygen, neon and others.
  • The Sun is almost 1.4 million kilometres (870,000 miles) in diameter, or 109 times the radius of Earth; and the star can burn spots onto a human’s retina if viewed directly for more than 100 seconds.
  • White light is produced by the Sun, and therefore is its colour, although the star is often depicted or perceived as a yellow, orange or red colour; and the light emitted from it takes almost eight and a half minutes to reach Earth.
  • Three main components form the Sun – the ‘core’, the ‘radiative zone’ and the outer section known as the ‘convection zone’; and the star also features an atmosphere that is often visible during solar eclipses.

Sun, Bright, Sunset, Earth, Scenery, Centre, Ten Random Facts

  • Temperatures throughout the Sun can vary from around 5,500 degrees Celsius (9,980 degrees Fahrenheit) to almost 15.7 million degrees Celsius (28.26 million degrees Fahrenheit); and the core is the hottest while the outer surface is the coolest.
  • Large bursts of solar particles, named solar winds and solar flares, can emanate from the Sun, and if they reach Earth, they are blocked by its magnetic field, although they can cause power outages, and disturb radio and communication equipment.
  • Many ancient civilisations, including Egyptians, Greeks, Aztecs and Incas, depicted the Sun as a supernatural god, and essential to their religion.
  • Among the first people to suggest the Sun was not a deity, but rather a scientific phenomena, was the Greek Anaxagoras, a philosopher from the 5th century BC, who was nearly executed for heresy against the Greek religion.
  • The first space probe to be used for examinations of the Sun was the Pioneer 6, and it was launched by NASA in late 1965.
Bibliography:
Sun, 2015, National Geographic, http://science.nationalgeographic.com.au/science/space/solar-system/sun-article/
The Sun, 2015, Nine Planets, http://nineplanets.org/sol.html
Sun, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun

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Mole

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Mole

Moles are not deaf or blind.

  • Moles are mammals of small size, that have extremely good smelling capabilities, which make up for their poor eyesight; and they are native to Asia, North America, and Europe, excluding Ireland.
  • Moles have the scientific family name Talpidae, a family of digging mammals, that also includes desmans and shrew moles.
  • Moles generally have long claws and feature a second thumb adjacent to its first, that they use to dig numerous tunnels underground.
  • The diet of moles consists mainly of worms, although they also consume mice and insects; and they are preyed on by cats, foxes and owls.
  • Moles have a tail, and typically grow to be 12 to 15 centimetres (4.5 to 6 inches) in length and weigh between 250 to 550 grams (9 to 19 ounces).
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Mole
Image courtesy of free photos/Flickr
  • The fur of moles is thick and short, and is usually coloured a combination of brown, white, black and grey.
  • Moles generally live alone underground in wooded, farmed or grassed areas, and the males are inclined to protect their territory from other males.
  • Due to the haemoglobin proteins that exist in their blood, moles have the unique ability to reuse oxygen and endure significant quantities of carbon dioxide, which allows the mammals to live efficiently underground.
  • The saliva of a mole can paralyse prey, owing to the natural poison it contains, allowing the mammal to collect food to eat at a later time.
  • Moles are considered a pest in many urban communities and farming areas, as they burrow beneath the soil, which can cause damage to the roots of vegetation and crops; while on the surface, the piles of dirt (molehills) that are created from excess soil can destroy grass and plants, and have an unsightly appearance.
Bibliography:
Mole, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/mole/
Mole, n.d, Young People’s Trust for the Environment, https://ypte.org.uk/factsheets/mole/overview
Mole (Animal), 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mole_(animal)

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Ely Cathedral

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Ely Cathedral

Ely Cathedral is another inspiring work of art.

  • Ely Cathedral is a large Romanesque stone church, that is part of the Anglican Diocese of Ely and the home to its bishop, located in England’s Cambridgeshire, in Europe.
  • ‘Ely Cathedral’ is also known as the ‘Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Ely’ and ‘the Ship of the Fens’.
  • The highest point of Ely Cathedral is the west tower measuring 66 metres (216.5 feet) and the building spreads over a distance of nearly 164 metres (538 feet) and covers an area of 4273 square metres (46,000 square feet).
  • Ely Cathedral is situated on the spot, that, in 673 AD, a monastery for both genders was established, by the saint, and Queen, Etheldreda, whose shrine existed at the site for many centuries.
  • The original monastery at the location of Ely Cathedral was thought to be destroyed in the 9th century, by Vikings, while a revival in the area caused the re-establishment and rebuilding of the abbey from 970.
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Ely Cathedral
Image courtesy of Steve Cadman/Flickr
  • Normans, who seized control of the monastery at the site of the Ely Cathedral in the 11th century, ordered the rebuilding of most monasteries, including Ely, and a number of additions were made to the cathedral over the centuries, and restoration works have been undertaken at various times.
  • The construction of Ely Cathedral commenced during the 1080s by Abbot Simeon, although it was halted for a number of years after his death in 1093; and the first bishop was appointed in 1109.
  • In 1322, the central tower of Ely Cathedral collapsed, and was reconstructed as an octagonal tower; while some time later, another part of the building gave way and was never repaired.
  • The Ely Cathedral has numerous panels of stained glass artwork, mainly originating in the 1800s, and the building originally housed numerous sculptures, which were mostly destroyed along with other objects, in the reformation in the 1500s.
  • Two main towers exist in the Ely Cathedral, the west tower comprising of almost 290 steps; and the site also has a number of chapels, a cafe, restaurant, shop, and a stained glass museum.
Bibliography:
Ely Cathedral, 2015, Sacred Cathedral, http://www.sacred-destinations.com/england/ely-cathedral
Ely Cathedral, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ely_Cathedral
Ely Cathedral, n.d, Eastern Cathedrals, http://easterncathedrals.org.uk/members/ely-cathedral.php
The Story of the Ely Cathedral, 2015, Ely Cathedral, http://www.elycathedral.org/history-heritage/the-story-of-ely-cathedral

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Barcode

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Barcode

Barcodes completely changed the face of business.

  • Barcodes are patterns of lines or two dimensional shapes that are usually printed onto a flat surface, and they can be read by specifically engineered machines.
  • The primary idea and form of barcodes was designed in 1949, by friends Bernard Silver and Norman Woodland, both alumni of the Drexel Institute of Technology in Pennsylvania’s Philadelphia, in the United States, for which they received a patent three years later.
  • ‘Barcode readers’, also known as ‘scanners’ are used to read barcodes, although many smart phones and other devices now have this capability.
  • American David Collins created the first commercially used barcode, that he developed from 1959 onwards for identifying railcars, and it was named ‘KarTrak’, and the stripes were coloured red and blue and were able to be read by a scanner.
  • Barcodes are said to have been loosely based on the Morse code system, by means of lengthening the dots and dashes into wide and narrow stripes, although inventors Woodland and Silver developed it into what appeared like a bull’s eye, while the reading machine used was based on technology used in the film industry.

Barcode, Scan, Line, QR, Product, Ten Random Facts, Invention

  • Barcodes are typically used to categorise and identify objects and individual people across many industries, and the information is usually compiled in a database.
  • The grocery industry became interested in the use of barcodes in 1966, and they were introduced to retailers starting mid 1974, with a packet of gum being the first ever object to be scanned, although uptake of the new technology was slow, and it was not until the 1980s that it was more commonly used.
  • The most economically viable and practical barcode scanners generally use a light sensor and lens, in conjunction with decoding technology, to interpret the code.
  • Barcodes are highly practical as they allow for easier locating and managing of items in a retail environment, and changes that affect each item stocked are readily made, by entering the information in the database.
  • There are many variants of barcodes, that can be both linear and square-based, among other shapes; with each variant having a specific name, such as ‘QR code’ or ‘Code 93’.
Bibliography:
Barcode, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barcode
Barcode History: 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Barcodes, 2012, Scandit, http://www.scandit.com/2012/03/20/barcode-history-5-things-you-didn%E2%80%99t-know-about-barcodes/
Barcode History, 2015, Barcodes Inc, http://www.barcodesinc.com/articles/barcode-history.htm
Seideman T, Barcodes Sweep the World, 2011, Barcoding Incorporated, http://www.barcoding.com/information/barcode_history.shtml

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Bactrian Camel

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Bactrian Camel

Bactrian camels are fully equipped for their harsh habitat.

  • Bactrian camels are two-humped camels that are native to central parts of Asia and they have thick fur that is coloured brown and tan.
  • The scientific name of a domesticated Bactrian camel is Camelus bactrianus, from the family Camelidae, and the animal is said to differ from the wild Bactrian camel, and as such, the wild camels are generally considered a different species that have the scientific name Camelus ferus.
  • Bactrian camels generally grow to heights of 1.7 to 2.3 metres (5.5 to 7.5 feet) and weigh between 300 to 1000 kilograms.
  • Bactrian camels primarily live in desert habitats, that feature a wide variety of conditions and temperatures, as well as limited water and food; while the wild camel species have the ability to drink salty water.
  • The large feet of Bactrian camels assist with mobility on sand, while their lengthy eyelashes and closable noses filter out sand from sandstorms.
Bactrian Camel, Animal, Mammal, Desert, Ten Random Facts, Flickr, Double Hump, Stare
Bactrian Camels
Image courtesy of Jeff Kubina/Flickr
  • Bactrian camels have two humps that contain fat, and when food and water resources are low, the fat is used to nourish the camel, and as a result the humps become slumped and smaller.
  • Throughout ancient times, and still today, Bactrian camels have been used as pack animals, capable of carrying loads up to 250 kilograms (550 pounds) in weight, and they have also been used for transporting humans.
  • The diet of Bactrian camels consists primarily of a wide variety of vegetation, including grass, shrubs and seeds, and they regurgitate their food so that it can be rechewed (known as ‘chew their cud’).
  • Despite having very few predators, that include humans and wolves, wild Bactrian camels have been listed as critically endangered; and it is thought that this wild species only number up to 800 or 900 individuals, with the figure reducing.
  • Generally, one calf is born to female Bactrian camels every two years, and they have an average lifespan of 35 to 50 years.
Bibliography:
Bactrian Camel, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/bactrian-camel/
Bactrian Camel, 2015, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/mammals/bactrian-camel/
Bactrian Camel, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bactrian_camel

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Olympus Mons

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Olympus Mons

Olympus Mons is reserved for the mightiest mountain.

  • Olympus Mons is an extremely large volcano located on the surface of Mars, and it is a shield volcano created by lava piling.
  • Despite the belief that it is one of Mars’ more recent volcanoes, Olympus Mons is the largest discovered volcano in the known solar system.
  • Olympus Mons sits approximately 22 kilometres (13.7 miles) high above datum (zero level), or 26 kilometres (16 miles) above the plains, while Earth’s tallest mountain, Mount Everest is around a third the size, sitting 8.8 km (5.5 miles) above sea level.
  • Olympus Mons has a diameter slightly larger than 600 kilometres (373 miles) and the volcano’s name can be translated from Latin into ‘Mount Olympus’.
  • The location of Olympus Mons is situated in part of Mars’ dustiest areas, which, among other reasons, renders the site unsuitable for rover analysis.
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Olympus Mons (Centre)
Image courtesy of the Lunar and Planetary Institute/Flickr
  • Olympus Mons’ considerable height was predicted during the mid to late 1800s, by Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli, and possibly others.
  • The enormous size of Olympus Mons is thought to be due to the lack of strong gravitational pulls and tectonic plates that exist on Earth, that normally prevent lava from piling significantly.
  • When the American probe Mariner 9 circled Mars from late 1971 to late 1972, Olympus Mons’ high peak was confirmed, and its volcanic nature was determined.
  • ‘Olympus Mons’ was originally named ‘Nix Olympia’, or ‘Olympic Snow’ when translated from Latin, until further details were returned from the Mariner 9 probe.
  • Olympus Mons is a similar colouring to the surface of planet Mars, a reddish rusty brown colour.
Bibliography:
Olympus Mons, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympus_Mons
Olympus Mons is How Tall?, n.d, The Martian Chronicles, https://martianchronicles.wordpress.com/2009/05/23/olympus-mons-is-how-tall/
Redd N, Olympus Mons: Giant Mountain of Mars, 2013, Space.com, http://www.space.com/20133-olympus-mons-giant-mountain-of-mars.html

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