The first day of fall is here and here are 5 things you probably didn’t know


1. Fall isn’t caused by the Earth’s distance from the sun

That’s right. The Earth’s distance from the sun at any given point doesn’t determine whether you’ll be sweating out your white tee or shivering in your snow boots. Fall, like all of the seasons, is caused by the Earth’s tilt in relation to the sun. It gets warmer in each hemisphere when that hemisphere tilts toward the sun and colder when it leans away.

2. ‘Fall leaf’ colors actually exist all year long


3. Oh, fall leaf tourism brings in BIG MONEY





5. The flavor pumpkin spice doesn’t actually taste quite like pumpkins

We’re here — the time of year when your favorite snacks hit store shelves (and Starbucks) in pumpkin-spice flavors. We’re talking lattes, cereal, ice cream, butter and even yogurt.

But what exactly goes into the beloved flavor of fall? Truth is, it’s almost never the orange-fleshed vegetable — pumpkin. Instead, the flavor comes from a mix of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, dry ginger and cloves, except when food companies take over. Most times, they create a synthetic version using chemicals found naturally in pumpkins and some of the previously listed spices. Those chemicals trick your brain into thinking that whatever concoction you’re consuming is pumpkin.
