Day 55 - Life, the universe and everything

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Mendooran to Coonabarabran 87km

If you want to really notice what a speck you are in the universe, then may I suggest you take a trip to the Astronomy Capital of Australia (Coonabarabran), while making your way there you can travel along the 'World's largest virtual solar system drive' where you visit each planet in our solar system, each planet set apart to a scale 38 million times smaller than reality.  If you want to really grind in the knowledge of just how tiny you are by comparison may I suggest you do this drive by bicycle.


That way it will take most of the day, and lot of sweating and maybe some cursing to travel between Uranus and Saturn.  I guess it could be worse, should life on Uranus actually be possible it takes Uranus 84 years to make a single orbit around the sun. 


Saturn was named for the God of agriculture, it's large and looks impressive.   I'm thinking some politician should adopt this symbolism.  Especially as the planet is so much gas it would float in water, so is of no substance at all.

All this emphasis on the universe is in aid of this region being a 'dark sky area, the ANU and CSIRO both do Astronomy research out here.  Unfortunately the clouds chase us into Coonabarabran, so we will have to use our imaginations.  

We roll into town on the later side, with daylight fading an hour earlier (daylight savings).  And life gives us a boon, the other occupants of the unpowered camping section of the caravan park are a group of blokes from the Echuca chapter of the Ulysses Motorcycle Club, and they have lit a proper campfire!  We are invited to share the fire, and the Tim Tams!  Well lubricated with wine, tea, scotch and biscuits we discuss life, the universe and everything.  And crawl into the tent warm wiser.  After all the meaning of life is 42, my age.



Location: Coonabarabran NSW 2357, Australia

Comments

  1. FrancieApril 5, 2022 at 2:15 PM

    Love the Solar System Drive (in your case - cycle)! Such interesting and eclectic places.
    Great you were able to hang out with the Ulysses chapter and their fabulous fire.

    ReplyDelete

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