The Sun is a fantastic source of astronomy fun facts. Our own star, which provides us with all our heat and light is between 91 and 94.5 million miles from Earth. It’s not that nobody knows the exact distance. It’s because the Earth revolves around the Sun in an elliptical, uneven, orbit, so the distance varies depending on where the Earth lies in that orbit.

The Sun is only an average size star, yet it’s size is another terrific source of astronomy fun facts. As average as it is, it accounts for about 98% of all the matter in our solar system. Even with the huge planet of Jupiter on our side, we’re still only a small 2% of non Sun stuff.

It would take the diameter of about 100 Earths to stretch across this average Sun. The solar winds produced by the Sun reaches out about 50 times the distance from the Earth to the Sun. Or put another way, those solar winds go out about 50 AU’s, with an AU being the distance from the Sun to the Earth. That’s quite fantastic, isn’t it?.

How about astronomy fun facts that don’t have much to do with the Sun? How about our Moon? It’s the only non-Earth object upon which man has walked so far. And one man actually travelled to the Moon but never left it. Dr. Eugene Shoemaker loved the Moon but was rejected as an astronaut. After his death he was cremated and his ashes were scattered over the moon by the Lunar Prospector spacecraft in 1999.

There are many more astronomy fun facts about the Moon. It’s where what may become the oldest footprint known to man. Neil Armstrong’s giant leap for mankind left a footprint or shoe print in the Moon’s dust that will likely still be visible in 10 million years time.

Many people, in fact about 13% of those polled in 1988, still believed the Moon is made of cheese. And finally, the suits worn by the Moon-walking astronauts weighed 180 pounds on Earth but only 30 pounds on the Moon, because of the Moon’s reduced gravity. Talk about losing weight, eh?

Astronomy fun facts aren’t limited to our close astronomical neighbours. Looking at stars is like looking into the past. Some of the stars we see today in the night sky are so far away that their light takes a million years to reach us. Some of the stars you see may really be images of stars a million years old that aren’t even there in the present. There are over 1 x 10 ^22 stars in the universe. That’s a 1 followed by 22 zeros. The number is really quite staggering.

There are millions of astronomy fun facts and we could relate them forever. But this article can not. So, please, walk out there and learn about astronomy for yourself.

Fascinated by astronomy? Then why not pop along to our website at: Astronomy Today Free reprint avaialable from: Astronomy Fun Facts.

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The wooden parts usually rotted away thousands of years previously, but a wooden longbow from the same era was discovered in Somerset. Presumably, people had been using all wooden, single section bows long before they started constructing complex composite recurve bows.

The skill of archery has always fascinated mankind and, in spite of the fact that guns have made archery obsolete, it still fascinates people today, although nowadays archery is almost reserved used for sporting purposes. It is a thriving sport and hobby and is the national sport of the Kingdom of Bhutan.

If you are interested in practising archery, you will first have to make your mind up which kind of bow you prefer. Among other varieties, there are the longbow, recurve bow, reflex and decurve bows, deflex bow, pyramid bow and crossbow.

To a certain extent, the arrows are not interchangeable either. For instance, a longbow can cast a three foot, heavy-gauge arrow, whereas a crossbow shoots a six inch bolt. The bows also had distinctive uses although there was a certain degree of overlap.

For example, longbows were the heavy, rapid-firing artillery of their day, being able to lob a heavy, armour-piercing arrow hundreds of yards; whereas a short recurve bow was perfect for attack from horseback. Crossbows took less ability to operate but were slower than a bow.

There are diverse types of arrow as well. Traditionally, arrows were made of wood with a pointed metal tip, but these days arrows can be made of aluminium or carbon fibre. The arrowheads are different for different applications as well. A plain brass tip is adequate for everyday shooting whereas a ferocious, slashing broadhead is used for killing.

The majority of people who take archery seriously use carbon fibre arrows these days which is the typical arrow shaft in use at the Olympic games. The flights are usually of bird feathers and are used to stabilize the arrow in flight to minimize wobble. Plastic flights are also to be had as they are less prone to damage.

The Welsh (and English) longbow was perhaps the most powerful hand bow extensively used. These longbows were typically six feet or more in length and made of one section of seasoned yew (or other woods). The draw weight of a Welsh longbow at the time of Henry VIII was between 160 -180 lbf and that would shoot a heavy three ounce arrow up to about 280 yards.

An explanation of the damage that one of these arrows could wreak was given by Gerald of Wales in the 12th century:

“… in the war against the Welsh, one of the men of arms was struck by an arrow shot at him by a Welshman. It went right through his thigh, high up, where it was protected inside and outside the leg by his iron cuirasses, and then through the skirt of his leather tunic; next it penetrated that part of the saddle which is called the alva or seat; and finally it lodged in his horse, driving so deep that it killed the animal”.

It took years of practice to draw and shoot one of these longbows bows accurately.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece writes on several topics, but is presently concerned with archery recurve bows. If you would like to know more or for special deals, please go to our website at Kids Archery Set.

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Well, the fact is that the difference between a hybrid car and a normal car lies under the bonnet. There are various types of hybrid vehicles as well, but the most widespread kind has a hybrid electric engine. Therefore, you could say that what makes hybrid cars special from most other, ordinary cars is their engine.

Or engines really, because hybrid electric cars basically have two engines. One, the internal combustion engine, runs on petrol, LPG or diesel and the other, the electric motor, runs off electricity stored in an array of powerful batteries. On the other hand, ordinary cars only have an internal combustion engine. It is a good idea to examine these two types of engine separately.

First of all the electric motor. Electrical energy is generated by various components on the car and stored in a large bank or array of high-capacity batteries. The electricity is created by the turning of the internal combustion engine, just as with a standard car, when it is in use, but also by the wheels or / and the car’s braking system. Different models have different ways of creating this electricity, but they are all very hi-tech and very efficient.

When the car’s internal computers decide that the car no longer needs the strength of the internal combustion engine, it will turn it off and switch to the electric motor instead. The conditions where this might happen are, for example, when you are driving slowly in inner-city traffic, when you are cruising at moderate speed on a flat road or when you are going down hill. This saves a considerable amount of fuel, which is clearly a great saving to you.

However, there are occasions when you have to have more power than the batteries can supply you, for example, when accelerating hard, when overtaking or when climbing a hill. At times such as these, the electric motor will shut down and the combustion engine will take over and start supplying power to the accelerator and electricity to the batteries. When the requirement for extra power has ceased, the batteries will take over again.

These choices are all taken by the hybrid electric vehicle’s (HEV’s) on board computer system and you will not be aware of much other that a surge of power or a quietening of the propulsion system. This works very well in most scenarios, but some drivers of HEV’s would like to have a manual override for abnormal circumstances, such as an undulating terrain.

All in all, cars with hybrid electric engines work very well at reducing fuel bills but they are still too expensive to be much more than a gimmicky toy and a salve to the conscience for the rich.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with hybrid electric engines. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at New Hybrid Vehicles.

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The word tackle referring to fishing equipment comes from ‘takel’ which initially meant the rigging of a ship, that is, the gear consisting of ropes supporting a ship’s masts and sails. Later, the same word was recorded as having a different meaning, that of apparatus for fishing and that meaning has been preserved ever since.

The most rudimentary fishing equipment consists of a rod, a line, a hook, a lure, a bait and a weight or sinker. The line is a simple cord specially made for fishing that is both long, strong and yet thin, so that fish do not notice it. There are various things that an angler asks about when buying a fishing line, such as its resistance, stretch, strength et cetera. The line will be selected depending on what kind of fish the angler hopes to catch.

The sinker or weight, also called a plummet, is actually a weight that assists in casting the hook and the bait as far as possible from the shoreline or from the boat that the fisherman is using. They are often made of lead as their purpose is also to sink and to get the bait closer to the fish in the water as quickly as possible. However, lead sinkers have been outlawed in some parts of the world, especially the very small ones, which are often called ‘shot’. If eaten by birds or other fish, the lead, which is well-known for its high toxicity, will cause the death of the animal.

Another basic piece of fishing gear is the hook. This device meant for attaching the bait on the line and for hooking into the fish’s mouth. It is fastened to the line and the angler can choose from a very variety of shapes and sizes.

Last but not least, the fishing equipment is not efficient without bait or lure. A lure is a device tied at the end of the line that looks and moves something like the prey of the fish you are after. Its purpose is to catch the attention of the fish with its colour and vibrations. Artificial flies and sand eels fall into this category. When the fish bites the lure, it gets hooked.

On the other hand, bait is the stuff physically attached to the hook. Bait is basically of two types: animal or foodstuff: ‘animal’ referring to small fish or other water creatures, insects or crawlers and ‘foodstuff’ referring to human food like grains, such as hemp, bread or whatever else the fisherman thinks might attract the type of fish he’s going for.

If you are keen on fishing and would like to find out more, please pop along to our website called Gone Fishing This article, What Is Fishing Equipment is available for free reprint.

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Being heavy can cause a lot of other issues, in addition it being a problem in its own right. Obesity makes rapid movement, stretching and reaching difficult. Surplus sweating can be an embarrassment and it can result in chaffing. The range of fashionable clothing available can be constrained too. In addition to these problems, studies have shown that being overweight invariably leads to health problems such as hypertension, cardiac issues, sleep apnea and diabetes.

The only solution to this bundle of problems is to lose those spare pounds around your waist by starting on a healthy weight loss diet plan and following it religiously. I will give you a few general pointers below to help you slim down and decrease the risk of spending your later years running in and out of hospital.

Almost all of the traditional weight loss diet plans proposed by dietitians and nutritionists start with the simple exhortation to reduce your food consumption to the amount you require to carry out your every day routine. The problem is that it sounds simple, but it is one of the hardest things to do. It takes a lot of determination on your part. However, you could start by eating and drinking three-quarters of what you normally eat. Once you can handle that, reduce the percentage again.

Try to make every calorie count. By that, I mean, if you are going to eat 200 calories, make certain that they are contained in food that will do you good and keep you feeling full. A bar of chocolate will give you a blood-sugar rush for 20-30 minutes, but a doorstep of a cheese and salad sandwich made from whole wheat bread washed down with a glass or two of water will give you plenty of fibre and vitamins and fill you up for a couple of hours.

It is always a good idea to keep a journal of what you eat and when. This way you can compare days and weeks and see what works best. It also helps if you are reducing your consumption in stages. Mark what you eat with the number of calories in that portion. If you do not know accurately, estimate it. Writing something down is better than nothing.

The next part is the part I don’t like – exercise. Regular exercise. The good news is that it does not have to be too much. Two thirty minute walks a day is pretty useful. Once in the morning and once in the evening. Or walk in your lunch time and after your evening meal. If you like, frequent visits to the gym are even better, but they are also easier to miss or give up altogether.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with lose weight programs. If you have an interest in losing weight too, please go over to our website now at Why Can’t I Lose Weight? Check here for free reprint licence: The Best Methods To Shed Weight.

categories: diet,health,fitness,exercise,cardio,advice,family,men’s issues,women’s issues,recipes,supplements,nutrition,outdoors,other

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The main thing you have to think about when you are considering drawing up a fly fishing calendar is: when will the water be at the optimum temperature? That is, the temperature that is best for catching fish. The right time to go fishing will depend on the region that you are looking at for your fly fishing trip.

In some places, like California, the fishing is pretty good all the year round. Whereas in other locations, such as Washington, you will have to stay away from the water in the winter as the freezing temperatures will stress the fish and they will not be as plenteous.

Generally speaking, the fly fishing calendar shows that the best fly fishing is in the spring and summer periods. Early fall will also find some places seeing good fishing as well. Almanacs can be useful to steer you towards the best fishing times and places as can constantly updating Internet web sites that are run by dedicated local fishermen.

Many locations will give weekly, and sometimes even daily fishing intelligence on their websites. They can tell you where the fish are biting and where the best locations in the river are to cast your line. They generally keep these fields of their web sites up-to-date pretty frequently. So you can get quality reports just by looking at what other anglers have to say about their fishing experiences.

Usually, fish like warmer water, although, there are other species like salmon and steelhead that thrive in colder water. However, in general, warm water will attract more fish. Nevertheless, if the water is too warm, the fish will be sluggish and will swim to locations where the water is cooler.

The fly fishing calendar employed most often by experienced anglers has been compiled over a lengthy period of time. They expend a considerable amount of effort to estimate where and when the best fishing will occur. Then they share it with others. That is one of the best things about fly fishing – the camaraderie and the sharing that can come about because of a mutual affection for the sport of fly fishing.

You can create your own fly fishing calendar with a little time and effort. Just do your homework and keep plenty of notes. When you see a trend, you will know that it is time to go fishing! Then you should be certain to help your fellow anglers by passing on the information via a local club or the Internet, if you are proficient at it, because others will be trying to work out what you already know. You know that most fly fishermen would do the same for you, do you not?

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with researching Franklin planner pages. If you have an interest in calendars, organizers or promotional calendars, please go over to our website now at Promotional Desk Calendars

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Only six Florida snakes are poisonous and they happily live with their non-poisonous cousins. They even go into towns and cities too. The best way to stay out of trouble with snakes is to learn their morphology and therefore be able to identify the various Florida snakes. The best approach to adopt in relation to all snakes is avoidance.

The Coral snake and pit vipers are the most dangerous Florida snakes. They can be identified by a wide range of characteristics. Pit vipers include the Rattlesnake, the Cottonmouth and the Copperhead. They all have vertical eye pupils, a v-shaped head and facial pits: one between the eyes and nostrils and the others on each side of the head.

The poison of this type of Florida snakes is haemotoxic, which means that their venom attacks the red blood cells, destroying the walls of the blood vessels and causing uncontrolled bleeding. Coral snakes however, use neurotoxic venom, with the toxins in the venom acting on the body’s nerves causing paralysis.

Most of the snake bites reported every year in the United States are attacks by Florida snakes or by rattlesnakes to be precise. Because their venom spreads quickly through the body, the victim will almost certainly die within half an hour without the immediate injection of anti-venom.

A big exception in this group of Florida snakes is the copperheads, the venom of which rarely requires an antidote. Their toxins are the least potent and so they are considered t be the least dangerous of the poisonous Florida snakes.

It is precisely because of the danger that they present that poisonous snakes get the most attention, although the most common of Florida snakes is the Black Racer, which is a non-poisonous species that depends on its sharp fangs to capture its prey.

Although the usual tendency of home owners is to remove snakes from their properties, specialists stress the fact that, without them, rodents would breed out of control giving us even more cause for concern.

Therefore, unless you have exceptional causes for worrying, like snakes breeding in great numbers in your garden or shed for instance, there is no valid reason why you should interfere with the lives of these usually retiring, helpful animals.

Interested in the Florida snakes? To learn more about snakes visit Caring for Snakes our new web site.

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Why should playing golf have taken off like that? I think it has to be because by playing golf you are being active outdoors with friends or colleagues competing in a leisurely game that you can never perfect.

Your scorecard, over time, will demonstrate your improvement, which keeps you playing time and time again.

Here follows an elementary lesson for those who know nothing about golf.

The typical round of golf is played on a course of eighteen holes, each or which has its own ‘par’. Par is the total number of shots it should take a player to complete that hole, ie all the tee shots (drives), fairway shots, chips (short shots onto the green) and puts into the hole.

‘Par’ is determined by the length and difficulty of each hole and can range from three to six. So, if you get the golf ball in the hole in six shots on a ‘par six’ hole, you ‘made par’; if you make it in five, it’s a “birdie” or seven, a “bogie”.

All the holes on a golf course will have at least one ‘hazard’ to make the game more challenging and therefore more interesting. These hazards are usually: sand traps, trees and bodies of water, which are set up in such a way as to be obstructive. A beginner at golf should seek out a course which has fewer and less obstructive hazards so it is easier to play.

Each player keeps his or her own score, marking the total number of shots for each hole. At the end, each person adds up their scores – the one with the lowest number is the winner.

It is vital that beginners to golfing should not take the game too seriously, because it takes a very long time to play golf proficiently, even if the professionals on TV make it look so easy.

Take a lesson or two at the start of your golfing ‘career’, because it will help you develop a proper swing and help you get off to a good start.

Are you new to golf? We have some greon our website at tips for the beginner golfer on our website at Golfing Tips for Beginners This article, Basic Golfing Tips For Beginners: 1 is available for free reprint.

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This odd movement of the planet is owing to several factors, the most important of which is something called ‘precession’. Precession stems from the fact that the Earth is not a perfect globe. It is in fact about twenty-seven miles longer about the Equator that it is around the Poles. The Earth then is oblate, or fat around the middle like middle-aged spread, but it is due to the spinning not to its age.

If you imagine the Earth with its Poles off centre. Then rotate that image and you will find that any point, except the exact centre of the axis, will move in a circle. But very, very gradually. So slowly that it takes 26,000 years to go full circle and get back to where it started from.

This point then, any point you choose, is very gradually shifting its location in relation to the stars because the axis is gyrating too. The result of this is that, what we call the North Star (formally known as Polaris, which is in fact one degree off true North) will not be over our North Pole one day. In fact, by about 15,000 AD, Vega will be almost above the North Pole, although it will be about four degrees off true North. But even this will not endure, and by 28,000 AD, Polaris will be back above where it is nowadays.

One of the effects of the precession is that seasons vary. They modify the dates that they take place, so that Summer could come earlier or later. The amazing thing about our calendar is that it is corrected for that (with the leap year). If it were not, the vernal or Spring equinox would shift over 13,000 years from March 21st to September 21st., which is the date of the autumnal equinox, precisely half a year later.

It is for this reason that the precession of the Earth is generally referred to as the “Precession of the Equinoxes”. Although the precession of the equinoxes is very gradual, it can be readily seen. The correct year of 325.25 days is the length of time from one vernal equinox to the next vernal equinox, however, it takes 20 minutes and 24 seconds longer for the Sun to appear in precisely the same place in relation to the stars behind it over the same period. It is for this reason that accurate star maps have to be stamped with the exact time and date to which they relate.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with researching Franklin planner pages. If you have an interest in calendars, organizers or promotional calendars, please go over to our website now at Promotional Desk Calendars

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Pheasant farms offer hunting, but they also protect the species from extinction. Pheasant reserve farms will make sure to harvest the eggs and take care of Those eggs until the young birds are ready to be released out in the wild. This early intervention protects their future generations of pheasants. Sometimes they order eggs from other locations which ensures genetic diversity.

A good bird dog will help you find, scare, and retrieve your bird after a successful hunt. Labrador retrievers are the most sought after dogs for hunting pheasant. It takes a good bit of training to train a good bird dog, but once it’s ready to go and experienced, you will want to live in the fields. Some hunters prefer pointers, but not me.

During the hotter times of the year you will find a lot of pheasants congregating around water. They enjoy ponds, creeks, streams, faucets, irrigation areas as well as pumps. Just like fishing and other hunts you can expect great hunting early in the morning or late in the afternoon. The morning seems to the best time to hunt as pheasant tend to be feeding in the open fields.

It is always a good practice to wait for the birds to settle back down. When you and your dog first arrive, there will be a lot more action on part of the pheasants to move and find shelter. Just hold still and wait for things to calm down. It is important that you have tracking skills and have scouted the area prior to going hunting. On pheasant farms, this is not a concern as many of the birds have been released within hours of your arrival.

For more on pheasant hunting and Bird hunting lodges. Get your bird dog ready for a hunt of a lifetime.

More information on hunt pheasant and Pheasant hunting lodges. Get your bird dog ready for the bird hunt of a lifetime. Unique version for reprint here: Pheasant Hunting Farms And The Pheasant Hunter.

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