To Infinity and Beyond! (And Presque Isle)

Maine is chock full of fun and weird and cool things to see and do.  I found out about the Maine Solar System Model, built by the people of Aroostook County and led by the University of Maine -- Presque Isle.  The sun and our solar system's planets are spaced to scale along Route 1 from Houlton to Presque Isle.

Luckily, I've headed up to Presque Isle and the surrounding areas a few times and have made it a point to find as many of the planets as I could.  There are still a couple missing, but they're hard to find!  I thought I'd share them with you.  And ask you to keep an eye out for the ones I've missed!

First, Pluto* is found at the Houlton Welcome Center, where a lovely woman showed me to the planet and gave me a very helpful brochure.

Not only are the planets included, but their moons, too.  See that Pluto's moon Charon is below.

Next up: Neptune!

And now, your anus.  Hahahahahaha, snort!  Sorry -- a bit of my 3rd grader coming out.  I mean to say: Uranus.

On to: Saturn, with moon Titan!

Note Titan hangin' out to the left:

Let's continue to Jupiter and his four moons:

And Mars.  It's much easier to get to this Mars than the real one.  Now, do you see how tiny Mars is?  I'm telling you, some of these planets were really hard to find, especially as I was trying to drive.

And now, our Home Planet and the best moon in the universe!

It's hard to see the moon, but it's to the right of Earth.  Look at the pole coming out of the snow.  The actual moon is hidden by the background trees.  I guess I'm not the best photographer.

And now Venus:

And finally, little, bitty Mercury:

Now here's where it gets embarrassing. The sun is on the UMPI campus.  After risking life and limb, driving while looking for planets (Can you imagine if the police/sheriff had pulled me over for what they thought was Driving While Impaired, only to find out I was trying to spy Route 1 planets?  That would have been really embarrassing.  I wonder if it's happened before.) and parking on shoulders and in ditches to get out and take pictures in the winter while semis blew by, I forgot to go to UMPI to take a picture of the sun.  How idiotic.

And so, my Mainer friends -- especially those who live in The County -- I am begging you to stop in at Folsom Hall on the UMPI campus next time you are up Presque Isle way and take pictures for me.  Please send me the pictures, I'll add them to this blog post, and I'll praise you to the heavens for helping me out.  Thanks!

*You may have noticed that I lump Pluto in with the planets.  Despite science, this whole "dwarf planet" stuff is garbage.  I spent WAY too many years in elementary school learning about the solar system and planets to change now.  It's kind of like how grammar has changed so that it is now correct to NOT place a comma after the penultimate item in a list.  Baloney.  I had to work on grammar through high school and beyond.  I'm not changing now.  Hm.  It appears I may be getting a bit set in my ways and knowledge in my old age.