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Have
you ever wondered why every globe you ever saw
in school or purchased for yourself is tilted
at exactly the same angle? No, it's not so you
can see North America more conveniently!
That globe is tilted
23.5 degrees, to be precise, and it reflects
the actual tilt of the world on its invisible
axis. Big deal?
You bet! This is what gives
us seasons year after year.
Speaking of seasons,
we've got some important
tips about packing up those summer clothes,
so be sure to check them out before you store
them away.
See you
soon!
Ed and Mary Longanecker
Iris city Cleaners and Laundering Company |
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Say
What?
In
the Northern Hemisphere, when it is winter
the earth is actually 3
million miles CLOSER to the sun
than during the summer. |
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Unhampered
Coupon!
If
you're going to put Summer garments aside in
favor of Fall and Winter, do it right -- put
them away clean and fresh, so they'll be ready
for you when Old Man Winter finally lets go
again. For
a limited time, have five garments drycleaned,
and we'll do a sixth of equal or lesser value
at no charge. (Include
first page of this e-mail with your order. Offer
expires November 15, 2004. Cannot be combined
with other offers.) |
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No matter how bad the
weather gets, you can always take a twisted
comfort in the fact that SOMEWHERE in the world,
it's summer -- or at least it's nicer than where
you are. But if
the earth spins around every 24 hours, how can
that be true? Shouldn't we all
have pretty much the same seasons at the same
time?
Can
you say TILT?
The amazing thing about
our planet is that it is tilted at just the
right angle (23.5 degrees off vertical) to facilitate
life. That tilt may not sound like much, but
it means that as the earth travels around the
sun, different areas of the earth or more exposed
or less exposed to the sun's rays. Since
our orbit around the sun takes a year, our part
of the world is either leaning toward or away
from the sun for a significant period of time
-- hence the seasons that divide our year.
What's so great about
seasons? Aside from the aesthetic aspect of
having a change of pace every 4 months or so,
different seasons make it possible for plants
to grow, hibernate, and then blossom anew without
running out of energy. If they grew continually,
they'd not be as healthy as when they have spurts
of growth, fruitful periods, and times of slowed
metabolism. In this, they're much like animals
that hibernate, sleeping away the worst of the
weather in safe burrows. |
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The tilt to the earth's
axis is why the Northern and Southern hemispheres
trade seasons all year long. Look at the diagrams
above -- if you picture the US on the globe,
it is in the Northern hemisphere. When
that part of the globe is leaning closer to
the sun the impact of the more direct rays is
of far more significance than the earth's distance
from the sun. (That's why our
seasons are not determined by the fact that
our circle around the sun is really an ellipse,
an oblong ring, not a perfect circle.) When
the Northern hemisphere is angled away from
the sun and we experience winter, the entire
planet is actually closer to the sun than during
our summer. (If it's any comfort next
year when you're blistering, just remember that
this means that Southern hemisphere summers
are just a tiny bit hotter than ours -- they're
tilted toward the sun AND the planet is closer
to the sun at the same time.)
Seasons are vital to
our lives. They bring a predictability to the
year that would be absent were the planet in
a perpendicular spin, not tilted. Animals recognize
the seasons and migrate, hibernate or otherwise
change their behavior accordingly. When we were
a more rural society, we took more notice of
the seasons, but that doesn't make them any
less relevant. Food production around the globe
depends on the steady march of seasons. Studies
have also shown that human mental health is
impacted by seasons -- or, more specifically,
the increase or decrease in the amount of sunlight
we experience.
Want
to know more?
Take advantage of the
Internet's resources and learn something new
today!
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We
are enormously appreciative of the opportunity
to share our weekly newsletters with you.
We feel that much of the content is valuable
for anyone who purchases fine clothing and is
interested in their preservations and cleaning.
Click on the symbol to the right if your would
like to send this and future newsletters to
a friend.
Thanks a million, Ed and Mary
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The Iris
City Cleaners Connection
is a weekly
news letter dedicated to the interest of fine
garment care, restoration, and
conservation. It is published in Mt Pleasant,
Iowa by Iris City Cleaners and is an extension
of our services described in www.iriscitycleaners.com
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