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Crisp air and pretty hues, crunching, crinkling leaves swirling in the breeze - there's no season I love more than fall. So, with the season just around the corner, we've decided to welcome in the warm shades of red, yellow, orange and brown, with a stunning collection of scenic fall photos, coupled with some interesting facts you never knew about this remarkable season.
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"Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree" - Emily Bronte |
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1. Since time immemorial, fall has ranked as one of the most important times of the year, primarily due to it being the harvest season. As a good harvest is necessary for survival, many civilizations, such as the Aztecs in ancient Mexico, honored various gods and goddesses. Some of their rituals included human sacrifices to please the gods. |
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| Source: Flickr.com, Ctac Киренков |
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2. Scientists believe that global warming could affect fall colors. As the world warms, the leaves may delay changing their colors. Global warming may also alter the habitats of trees, such as the sugar maple, which creates some of the most vibrant fall colors. |
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3. Leaves in fall change color due to the colder temperatures and reduced light. Consequently, they stop producing chlorophyll - the green pigment that helps capture sunlight to power photosynthesis. As the green on the leaves fade, other pigments shine through - hence the orange and yellow carotenoids and vibrant red anthocyanin. |
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| Source: Flickr.com, Nicolas Raymond |
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4. Throughout fall squirrels collect and bury nuts, which they store to eat throughout the winter season. The nuts they bury and don't retrieve, sprout into new trees. |
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| Source: Flickr.com, joiseyshowaa |
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5. Birds migrate all year long, but fall is typically peak migration season, depending on the species, migration distance and travel speed. |
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| Source: Flickr.com, Nicolas Raymon |
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6. NASA refers to fall as the 'Aurora Season'. At this time of year, geomagnetic storms are twice the strength, when compared to the other seasons. |
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| Source: Flickr.com, Swallowtall Garden Seeds |
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7. According to superstition, catching leaves in the fall brings good luck. Every leaf is supposed to bring about a lucky month the following year. |
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8. People who live on the equator or central area of the planet never experience fall. |
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9. Babies born in the fall, are more likely to live to 100 than those born throughout other times of the year. |
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| Source: Flickr.com, Michael Gil |
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10. According to a large Bristol University study, athletic children are more likely to be born in autumn and winter months. Those born in spring are the most sluggish. |
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| Source: Flickr.com, Luke Andrew Scowen |
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11. Levels of testosterone in both men and women are at their highest during the months of fall. Scientists believe that the hormone surge may be a result of ancient mating instincts (the fall 'rutting season'). Another explanation may be that a decrease in daylight somehow triggers it. |
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12. According to a study in the journal 'Perception', men think women are more attractive in the cooler season. One theory holds that men's testosterone levels rise during the fall. Another theory believes that it is due to the contrast effect - during summer, men are frequently exposed to scantily clad women, but not so much in the fall. |
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Source: Flickr.com, Dennis Jarvis |
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"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird, I would fly about the Earth seeking the successive autumns." - George Elliot |
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Source: facts.randomhistory.com |
