28 December: The Number 28

On the 28th day of the month, 10 things you didn't know about the number 28.

1. 28 is the second perfect number. A perfect number is one where its divisors add up to the number. 28's divisors are 1, 2, 4, 7, and 14.
2. It is the atomic number of nickel.
3. In non-leap years, February has 28 days – the shortest month of the year.
4. The surface of the Sun takes 28 days to rotate at its equator, as viewed from Earth.
5. The human menstrual cycle is 28 days long.
6. There are 28 dominoes in a standard domino set. Staying with games, in India there is a card game called twenty-eight, a trick taking game for four players.
7. The London Transport 28 bus route covers Harrow Road, Kilburn Lane, Great Western Road, Elgin Avenue, Westbourne Park Station, Westbourne Grove, Notting Hill Gate Station, High Street Kensington Station, The Design Museum, Kensington Olympia, Fulham Town Hall and Wandsworth Town Hall.
8. The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, a large us military transport plane, has 28 wheels.
9. In the I-Ching, the 28th kua means Excess, meaning there may be too much of a particular thing. The symbol is a flooded forest – the forest needs water to grow, but too much Water is a bad thing. Therefore, if a person is seeing the number 28 everywhere, it means there is an excess of something in their life and they need to seek balance.
10. In numerology, people born on the 28^th are confident, independent and self-motivated. They are natural leaders and enjoy debate and making plans for exciting new experiences. They may, in spite of this, dislike change.