Our planet is unique in every way

Earth is the only planet we know has life

For now, Earth is the only astronomical body on which life exists. A decade ago, it was estimated that there are about 8.7 million species of listed creatures (6.5 million on land, 2.2 million in water).
The number of species on Earth had previously been estimated at at least 3 million and at most 100 million, so a huge margin.

The Earth is thought to have formed 4.5 billion years ago, and life has been present on our planet for a long time. The physical properties of the Earth, its geological history and its orbit have allowed the existence and development of life for hundreds of millions of years.

Gravity is not the same everywhere on Earth

I was saying that the planet Earth does not have the shape of a perfect sphere, but a shape closer to an ellipse. In addition, the earth's soil is irregular and the mass of our planet is not evenly distributed.

This causes variations in the value of the gravitational field. Thus, for example, as we move from the equator to the poles, the intensity of the gravitational field gradually increases, although the difference is imperceptible to humans.

Earth is a planet of extremes

Our planet is full of contrasts. The variety of its geographical areas and its climate means, in practice, that each region has its own particularities.

There are several worthy candidates for the title of "hottest place on Earth," but one of the winners is Death Valley in the United States, where on July 10, 1913 the thermometer read 56.7 ° C.

At the other extreme is Antarctica. At Vostok station, on 31 July 1983, the measuring instruments indicated -89.2 ° C.

The largest living structure on planet Earth

The Great Barrier Reef, located off the coast of Australia, is the largest living structure on the planet, to the point that it is the only such creation that can be seen from space.

It stretches for more than 2,000 kilometers and hosts thousands of marine species. In 1981, it was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The earth has its own shield of protection

The Earth's magnetic field acts as a shield against the incessant bombardment of solar particles. This field stretches from the core of the Earth to the limit where the solar wind meets.

Among other things, the magnetic field also helps to orient some animals (especially during migrations) and ours, with the help of compasses.

New informations about the Dead Sea Scrolls

The famous Dead Sea Scrolls continue to generate riddles, decades after their discovery. A recent study concluded that at least one different technique was used to obtain one of them than the rest, an unknown technique, unheard of to this day. The parchment that attracted the attention of researchers, one of the most important in the collection, is one with an age of almost 2.000 years, which has been remarkably well preserved, despite the conditions in which it was kept and despite its size. of the largest. Found by the Bedouins in 1956, north of the Dead Sea, it was sold to an antique dealer. He did not keep it in the best conditions, but still wrapped it in cellophane and stored it in a shoe box, hidden under the floor, according to Science Alert. The "Temple Parchment", as he is known, has survived, but is currently the thinnest of the parchments (a collection of about 900 pieces). It is only one tenth of a millimeter thick. However, it was preserved, and the material ...

Final resting place of Alexander the Great

One of the versions regarding the location of the tomb of Alexander the Great mentions that the body of the great conqueror was deposited in a golden coffin, which was sent to Memphis, Egypt, and from there to Alexandria (city founded by Alexandru), where he lost track. It was thought for a time that the sarcophagus of Alexander the Great was found in Sidon (Lebanon), because the warrior with a lion's helmet carved on one side looked very much like Alexander the Great. It was later discovered that this was, in fact, the coffin of the king of Sidon. However, the search did not stop there. In 2014, the tomb of a military commander allegedly contemporary with Alexander the Great was discovered in central Macedonia. Although some historians are convinced that these are the remains of Alexander, his place of rest is still sought.

Tomb of the Red Queen, Mexico

In 1994, archaeologists discovered a mortuary in Palenque (a Mayan city). They found here a coffin with the remains of a woman, covered in red dust. Several collections of pearls were also found inside, and a diadem had been placed around the skull. Pieces of what had once been a funeral mask were also found at the scene. According to researchers, the Red Queen was around 60 at the time of her death. This was an interesting finding, as power was usually inherited only by men. As far as was known until the date of this discovery, women were not honored to such an extent that they were buried with treasures such as those found in the Red Queen's coffin. Who was this woman and how much power was concentrated in her hands? It is unknown at this time ...

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