May 27--Talk about bringing the solar system down to Earth. In a temporary outdoor walkable or, more realistically, bikable exhibition called "Planets on the Path," Adler Planetarium has placed markers on Chicago Park District land representing, to scale, the location of the planets (and other celestial bodies) in relation to the sun, which, naturally, is at the Adler.
So travel east toward the Field Museum along Solidarity Drive and you get Mercury, Venus, the moon and Mars. Travel north or south and you get markers for the rest of the more famous bodies, beginning with the Asteroid Belt and ending with Pluto. Pluto, in case you're wondering about scale, is at Calumet Beach on the south (at 96th Street and the Indiana state line) and Juneway Terrace Park on the north (north of Howard Street).
Each marker contains fun-ish facts about the celestial body and guides you to the next one. Is the planetarium troubled by Pluto and the Asteroid Belt being listed among the "planets" and the Earth being represented only by the inclusion of our moon? Apparently not. Chalk it up to scientific license.
"Planets on the Path" is up through Dec. 31; more information and a downloadable map is at Adler's site.
sajohnson@tribpub.com
