Universe on the Sidewalk

Not another post on sidewalk chalk art... I caught myself trying to talk myself out of this post, but, it was such an imaginative and energetic activity last weekend morning(s) that the cherish-the-simple-moments side of me persevered.

There is something magical about Outer Space that captures kids of all ages, right? So, we've been reading A Look At Planets series (Mary R. Dunn), My First Look At Planets series (Teresa Wimmer), A True Book series (Elaine Landau) about planets and dwarf planets and meteor showers and asteroids and galaxies and our sun and what-not over summer, among others. Flash cards, DK sticker books,  not to mention TMBG's How Many Planets?, plus info on the web and such supplement our reading...

So when Oggie offered to lay out the universe as he knows it so far, on the sidewalk, I willingly tagged along armed with my camera and a cup of hot chai.

Besides the solar system which includes the Asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, there's the Kuiper belt at the far edge as we know it, the Horsehead nebula, and the 5 dwarf planets, and rockets and space shuttle and lunar rover and comet and asteroid Vesta,and of course probes and rockets and space shuttle, even a black hole, and "a bunch of other stuff".

Seeing that it was self-initiated and self-sustained, much like the Tide Pool on the sidewalk, with non-stop chatter about each of the things being depicted, I just limited myself to making strategic comments (followed by a "tell me about it") and smiling inwardly as I heard the ready responses.

I see the Vostock-like rocket right next to Horsehead nebula.
 I noticed a black hole that is really close to Starro. 
Makemake is right along the Kuiper belt...
Is that the Earth's moon?
I am looking for the largest gas giant of our solar system...
So, Saturn your favorite planet?