Summer is the season of the year where we spend more time outdoors enjoying nature. That's why I got the idea to write a series of posts talking about our lovely planet, pointing out some of its many marvels that we can all enjoy wherever we are.
In this first episode, we are going to discover the wonders of planet Earth that make it such a special place for any lifeform to thrive on.
Being our home for so many years, we take for granted all the different miracles Earth provides us every day. The sunrise and sunset, the different weather, the seasons, the incredible environmental biodiversity, etc... But when Earth was born, it wasn't as pleasant and beautiful a place as it is now. Many years ago, it was a harsh place unable to support any type of life form. However, some extraordinary circumstances happening throughout millions of years following its birth made Earth the perfect place for life. Its convenient location within the Solar System also provided the ideal temperature conditions for the creation of the oceans and the atmosphere, which is this important layer between us and the deep space that helps maintain a proper temperature in the whole globe, among other many properties. If Earth were a bit farther or a bit closer to the Sun, we wouldn't exist.
THE SUN
The star of the Solar System gives us life, literally. Life on Earth wouldn't be possible without the power coming from the sun rays. Its energy and warmth, help sustain plants and animals that make our daily diet which we couldn't make it without. The energy coming from the sun is also the key for all the natural resources that Earth contains like minerals, vegetation, water, animals and soil. Take just one of these away and our existence would be much different if any at all.
Ancient civilizations like Mayans and Aztecs considered the Sun as a God. Given their lack of scientific foundation, I understand the origin of their belief since that golden circle in the sky provided everything they needed.
MOON
According to the most widely accepted theory of the Moon's origins, the giant-impact hypothesis, our satellite was born due to the impact of a young planet Mars-size called Theia with the early Earth. The crust debris tossed by our planet came together and eventually made up what we call the Moon. Our lovely sister satellite plays an important role in our lives. Not only may affect wolves, werewolves, and other nightmare creatures but also greatly influence the oceans and seas by creating the phenomenon of the tides due to the gravitational attraction between Earth and Moon. This same attraction provokes that both of them spin at the same speed and so that's why we can only see the same half of the Moon, no matter where we are. This interesting fact has left us with that romantic enigma of what's hidden on the half that we are unable to see, which for us will always be the dark side of the Moon. Many songs, poems and films have been made with this theme as the foundation for creativity.
SEASONS
Do you know why we have different seasons throughout the year? Because of Earth's axial tilt. That's right, our planet is not perpendicular to the rotation axis but tilted about 23 degrees. That 'imperfection' provokes that the sun rays hit Earth's surface in different intensities and angles during the year, making up the four so different calendar seasons we have unless you stay somewhere like Ecuador, Kenia or Indonesia, where they pretty much have the same season and temperature all year round. Can you imagine how life on Earth would be if the planet wasn't tilted?
There's also another interesting feature related to this fact. The countries located in the southern hemisphere have the opposite season as the one happening in the northern hemisphere. So if there's Winter in New York, at the same time it's Summer in Sydney and vice versa.
BIODIVERSITY
One of the things I love about our planet is how many different environments you can enjoy depending on where you are. So, are you a beach person or a mountain one instead? Perhaps you love both. Either way, I find it impossible not to enjoy the beauty of such a variety of surroundings. From the snowy peaks of the Alps to the crystal-clear waters of the Caribean beaches. From the Amazon wilderness to the hot-as-hell sandy hills of Sahara. You've got it all. Just choose the environment of your liking, travel (ahem), and fully enjoy the surroundings like crazy.
With the different environments also comes the difference in the animal kingdom of any given area. Meet -and respect- the colossal giraffes from Africa, the huge elephants from India, the powerful American buffalos, the shy beauty of the wild horses from Iceland, or the dynamic kangaroos from Australia, just to mention a few.
You have to be a cold-hearted bastard to be unable to feel even a slight pinch of love for these remarkable creatures.
It doesn't matter if we take a religious approach or a purely scientific one when acknowledging how the universe and our planet were born. It's an amazing miracle. We were meant to be here, on this planet and at this particular moment. You can believe what you want and place your faith wherever you like. Maybe some god placed us here or perhaps that huge explosion called the Big Bang was meant to happen for some reason science still hasn't discovered yet. Nevertheless, we can all agree on this: it's not a coincidence. This planet was made for us, tailored to our needs. The conditions on our planet are far too perfect to be taken as a whim of fate.
Now take a look at this important message from Sir David Attenborough.
Bonus video. Learn all the details of how the dinosaurs died in this instructive video.
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See you on the next episode.
Take care and enjoy the outdoors 🌺😉