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Odd Florida, Part 4
(2018)
Florida is an odd state. This is the fourth collection of photos!
This installment of the Odd Florida series has a space theme. Though, I never went anywhere near the "Space Coast".
In Gainesville, I discovered the Solar Walk. This work of art uses the flat and straight 8th Ave. to demonstrate the scale of our Solar System. I also, secretly, revel that Pluto hasn't been removed from this model.
Plaques on the obelisks provide quick facts about each entity. Here's one for Sol, our Sun. This Walk would, also, make a good field trip, because the raised plaques on the monuments would produce a good rubbing. Remember that form of copying?
The orbit of Mercury, the Winged Messenger, quickly comes up.
Before reaching Venus, Halley's Comet perihelion is witnessed. At this point the comet must be little more than a speck of ice, but with a magnificent tail!
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Looking back, from the asteroid belt, I notice that Earth has some close neighbors. They're even closer together than the cookie-cutter houses in the developments in central Florida! But, in reality the scale is 4,000,000,000/1!
Here comes Jupiter, the giant of our Solar System!
Don't forget to make your rubbing
A speed limit, ha! Try to catch me: I averaged 120 billion miles per hour during my trip through our Solar System! Man, that would be one hell of a speeding ticket!
Ah, the rings of Saturn. Aren't they magnificient? Well, for orbiting ice crystals!
As I approached Uranus, I was dragged back to reality. Didn't the road-sign folks think it would be a bad idea placing a pedestrian sign right here? It just seems like the perfect candidate for "street art", with this particular obelisk so close.
For your rubbing collection. You are keeping a collection, right?
Ahead the road narrows, that is, after Neptune.
It's been a journey! Holst would be impressed.
Halley's comet is farthermost from Earth here. Notice that there's no tail. That's a clever touch. I'm, now, about three billion miles away from Earth!
"Stop here for..." It seems that Gainesville orphaned Pluto before the astonomers.
This rubbing will probably be priceless, after they bulldoze the obelisk, citing that Pluto is no longer a planet!
Obviously, I had to become more practical. And, would you know it, I found something down-to-earth. Yes, a Space Shuttle external fuel tank! These tanks break up upon re-entry and fall into the ocean. NASA couldn't justify recovering them. So, I saw an intact fuel tank up close and personal. I, even, touched it. Rad!! Click for a larger view!
More photos are available below:
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The Fuel Tank is situated just off the docks on the St. Johns River in Green Cove Springs. I only saw two motorcyclists. They turned around at the end of the road. Imagine how crowded this place would be if it was in a museum at Cape Canaveral. Personally, I prefer not paying to stand in line.
Prepare for blast off! Nope, this is not a '50s sci-fi movie prop!
Unless the veterans are going to setup a VFW Post on the Moon!
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