What better way to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of NASA's Moon Landing than by experiencing space treasures first-hand!!! Here are a few, of the many, places in Metro Atlanta where you can do just that!
Apollo 1 Command Module | Tellus Science Museum | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor
Tellus Science Museum (Apollo 1) Take off to the Tellus Science Museum in Cartersville, Georgia, where you can see a collection of model rockets, a Mercury capsule, and a replica of the Apollo 1 Command Module built for the HBO mini-series "From Earth to the Moon", narrated by Tom Hanks, who starred in the movie Apollo 13. This replica (there's a cutout on the other side) was used to tell the tragic story of the Apollo 1 tragedy, of the sacrifice of three American heroes who helped us get to the moon. Fernbank Science Center (Apollo 6) In the Exhibit Hall at Fernbank Science Center (not to be confused with the Natural History Museum), you can see up close and personal a real Apollo 6 Command Module! This artifact, on loan from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (where I was a volunteer for a year!), was part of a test flight for the Saturn V launch vehicle. It was the last unmanned flight of Project Apollo. Fernbank Museum of Natural History (Apollo 11) On Saturday, July 20, the actual 50th Anniversary of NASA's Apollo 11 Moon Landing, Fernbank Museum of Natural History is celebrating with a day of activities, 10am-1pm, their "Moon Landing Celebration"! Through September 12, 2019, Fernbank Museum is showing Apollo 11: First Steps Edition daily at 1pm, however on July 20th, there will be an additional showing at 3pm.
With a newly-discovered trove of never-before-seen 70mm footage and audio recordings, Apollo 11: First Steps Edition 2D joins Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, the Mission Control team and millions of spectators around the world, during those momentous days and hours in 1969 when humankind took a giant leap into the future.
There undoubtedly will be Moon Landing celebrations throughout the United States, including a few right here in Atlanta's backyard! Enjoy wanderlusting!
Barry and I had talked about going back to Tellus Science Museum for quite a while, recounting our individual visits, and finally went up a few months ago. Turns out, we'd visited very different places. It was a number of years ago that Barry had visited what was later absorbed by Tellus...an impressive gem and mineral collection, which was housed near today's Tellus. Before changing his major in college, Barry studied geology, so Tellus was a welcome excursion.
Tellus Science Museum, T-Rex & Barry
I've mentioned previously that before I wanted to be an astronaut I'd wanted to be an archaeologist. Louis Leakey—who was a mentor to Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey—was my early childhood hero. So, you can imagine, a geologist and an archaeologist set loose in a gem gallery and a dinosaur gallery...we had as much fun as we did when we were kids! Actually, I don't remember seeing a dinosaur exhibit when I was a kid, but I remember visiting my 5th Grade teacher, Mrs. Cobb, after I graduated high school and remember how tiny the desks and chairs were...and as adults we think dinosaurs are big! The dinosaur skeletons at Tellus are replicas, BUT each of the larger exhibits have within it a real fossil, and there are many other fossils throughout the gallery.
Tellus Science Museum, Travis
I mentioned that Tellus was very different memories for Barry and for me. I'd been for the first time a few years ago and Barry long before that. So, when we were pulling up to Tellus, a familiar sight for me, the giant Komatsu truck was new for Barry. I just love that truck! To give you an idea of just how big it is, I'm 6'2" and the tires alone are considerably taller than I am. I wonder if they ever let visitors take it for a test drive...
Tellus Science Museum, Foucault's Pendulum
One of my favorite exhibits at Tellus is the Foucault's Pendulum, which is near the entrance, if I recall correctly. It's captivating. One could easily get lost in understanding the premise of the Pendulum. To give you an idea, the original was built to demonstrate the Earth's rotation of approximately 1,000 miles per hour. The sphere is moving back and forth, but always in the same plane...the floor is moving, with the Earth—it's fixed...hemisphere and latitude come into play, as do friction and gravity. It's truly fascinating...you must observe (and read about) it! And just for the record, the reflection in the sphere is about as close to a "selfie" as I typically get. Fortunate for my readers I'm not as photogenic as some of my friends.
Tellus Science Museum, Quartz Sphere
Back to when we first arrived, it was a first experience for Barry. Turns out that we'd not been talking about the same place...the same gem and mineral collection, yes, but not the same structure. It was a pleasant surprise for Barry, especially that what he'd seen before had grown to become the Weinman Mineral Gallery. I have a small collection of crystal spheres myself (some glass ones, too), just because I like them. I especially like the larger ones at Tellus, one being quartz (at which Barry is gazing above) and solid black one of Obsidian, from Brazil, which is mesmerizing.
Tellus Science Museum, Amethyst
My sister would love all the amethyst at Tellus. They have quite the collection, including a display of Georgia amethyst. The piece pictured above is (not from Georgia), I venture to guess, several feet wide...an impressive specimen! There are hundreds and hundreds of other gem and mineral specimen that are much more colorful than what I've shared in this post, as well as some fascinating phosphorescent (glow-in-the-dark) specimen.
Tellus Science Museum, Periodic Table of Elements, Chromium
I've told so many people about Tellus' Periodic Table of Elements display that I can't remember who I've told and who I haven't. Anyway, it's absolutely brilliant! And a super fun way to teach youngsters about chemistry. What I like about Tellus' exhibition so much is their humorous approach to connecting elements to household names, including a toppled dinosaur (Iridium), Einstein (Einsteinium), and a pink Cadillac (Chromium).
Tellus Science Museum, Copper
The "piece" of copper pictured above is actually a copper boulder! It's 9 feet by 7 feet and weighs 4,950 pounds! There is fascinating exhibit after fascinating exhibit at Tellus...I could go again and again, and to my delight I have. There's so much going on at Tellus, it's practically impossible to do it justice in a single writing. In addition to the mineral, fossil, transportation, and family galleries, there's a planetarium, an observatory, a panning for semi-precious stones and digging for dinosaur bones experiences, and LOTS of events and special exhibits! There's a model train exhibit being featured right now, stretching over 100 feet of track, that I want to go back and see! What kid, grown or otherwise, wouldn't want to see a massive collection of model trains? Even theoretical physicists like model trains!
Tellus Science Museum, Fossil Gallery
The Fossil Gallery is fascinating! From the jawbone of a shark the size of a school bus to a fossilized pine cone, and a T-Rex, this gallery is fantastic. And it has specimen of animals that I'd never heard of before...I used to think I was a fairly knowledgeable dinosaur enthusiast! But you gotta love learning and that's what Tellus is largely about.
Tellus Science Gallery, 1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen
The Science in Motion gallery at Tellus is quite impressive. It features transportation from the earliest motorized bikes to one of the first electric cars—1903, believe it or not!—from Kitty Hawk to humans' journey to the stars. One of the things that I love about this gallery, a feature that I'd quite honestly forgotten about so was pleasantly surprised by again, are the mirrors under the various vehicles on display. You get to see the underbelly of the awesome vehicles, making them even more awesome! There's also a collection of launch vehicles—rockets—some of which I've seen in person, including a Proton. At a former job, I had the great fortune to travel to the Baikonur Cosmodrome, where the first human was launched into space (Yuri Gagarin), to see a satellite liftoff on its way to geosynchronous orbit. What an amazing experience!
Tellus Science Gallery, Apollo 1
Tellus does a remarkable job of chronicling humankind's journey into space, given the limited space allotted for that era of our history. Among the artifacts is a replica of Apollo 1, the capsule in which Edward White, Virgil "Gus" Grissom, and Roger Chaffee lost their lives in a fire during a routine pre-flight exercise. As a space enthusiast, I'm grateful that Tellus has remembered these brave men. I've also had the great fortune to be mere feet away from the Space Shuttle Endeavour, to see the Space Shuttle Atlantis on its launch pad, to visit the White Room where various components of the International Space Station have been built and to visit Cape Canaveral for a live launch. I'm a lucky guy to have experienced so much, and places like Tellus bring those memories flooding back! And I must give a shout out to JD's Bar-b-que in Acworth. We left Tellus just as rush hour was at its peak. Barry remembered a really good BBQ place in Acworth, so we exited the interstate for a quick bite before meeting our friends later. We couldn't find that place, but found JD's on my phone and tried it out. Fantastic! I totally recommend going. Check out my first visit to Tellus here and then get yourself and the kiddos up there! You're going to have great fun—I can practically guarantee it. I've been several times now and have had a wonderful time every visit, especially this last visit. Head over to the wanderlust ATLANTA Facebook page where you can find more photos of our Tellus visit!
Yesterday was Barry's (my best friend) birthday and he wanted to do something away from the hustle and bustle of the city. We spent the day at Tellus Science Museum in Cartersville, Georgia...and we had so much fun we closed the place down!
We celebrated with other friends in the evening, but that's another story...for another time...but probably not here. But I can say that we had a fantastic time!
There's lots to share about revisiting Tellus, but sadly little time to write about it at the moment. In the meantime, here's a teaser photo...this guy is 15 feet wide! And check out Tellus' website for upcoming events and permanent exhibits...all worthy of a visit!
To "open minds and ignite a passion for science" is exactly what the Tellus Science Museum does! And it's only a short 40-minute ride from Atlanta.
Mineral Spheres from Tellus Science Museum
Sister museum to the previously mentioned Booth Western Art Museum, Tellus is also home to 120,000 square feet of display space and it's literally only minutes from the Booth in Cartersville, Georgia.
Within that enormous amount of space is a lot to see and do, including four main galleries: The Weinman Mineral Gallery (with an impressive collection of mineral spheres!), The Fossil Gallery (with tons of dinosaurs I've never seen or heard of), Science in Motion (which totally speaks to my love of flying and love of space), and The Collins Family My Big Backyard (an oasis for kids!).
There's also a 120-seat digital planetarium and an observatory with a state-of-the-art 20-inch telescope. But, where Dorothy Boyd said, "You had me at 'Hello' to Jerry McGuire, the Godzilla-size Komatsu truck had me at first sight. It's wheels are way taller than I am...and I'm not a slight man.
Well, enjoy the above pre-sized Facebook Cover Photo of some of Tellus's mineral spheres, then head over to the wanderlust ATLANTA Facebook Page for more!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Quartz and Other Minerals at the Tellus Science Museum
Before visiting Tellus Science Museum earlier this year, I'd forgotten that not all quartz is clear. Was I ever reminded! In their minerals exhibit, I saw quartz in varying shades of green, yellow, pink, and bright orange, several examples of which are in this display (photo).
Having a fascination with spheres that goes back to my earliest art classes, I was enthralled with the way Tellus displays quite a few of their minerals...in sphere format. Some of their specimens are the size of bowling balls and a couple are as big as the crystal ball in the Wizard of Oz.
Tellus is a fascinating place to visit. They take learning to a whole new level...a level that includes a lot of fun.
ATLANTApix and ATLANTAvidz of the tourATLANTA blog features a daily photo or video relative to Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!
Having been a science fiction fan since I was six years old, you can only imagine how excited I was to be accepted as a volunteer at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
I was concerned that when I moved back to Atlanta that exposure to the aerospace industry would be limited to watching planes arrive and depart Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Those concerns were quickly laid to rest. There's lots of aerospace in Atlanta...at least a lot more than I expected.
On a trip to Tellus Science Museum in Cartersville, Georgia (40 minutes from Atlanta), earlier this summer, I got to see the 12-foot tall Apollo 1 Command Module replica used for the TV series, From Earth to the Moon, narrated by Tom Hanks.
The module was burned for the series to demonstrate the catastrophe that resulted in the loss of the astronauts on board during a training exercise. Parts of the module were returned to their original condition and other parts left burnt for historical context and in memory of the astronauts who gave theirs lives in the pursuit of space exploration.
ATLANTApix and ATLANTAvidz of the tourATLANTA blog features a daily photo or video relative to Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!
One of my absolute favorite artifacts at the Tellus Science Museum in Cartersville, Georgia, is the biggest "Tonka Truck" I've ever seen. How big is it? That's me standing next to the driver's side tire in this photo...this truck is huge!
The marvels inside Tellus are also absolutely fascinating...and I still find myself laughing when I recall the humor incorporated into such a serious disciplines.
I'm very impressed that someone out there has the talent to so beautifully and elegantly present the geological, transportation, and archeological sciences (to name a few) and sneak in sneak in a "funny" here and there--like the Einstein Bobblehead in the Periodic Table of Elements display.
Just for the record, and so I don't get into trouble, the truck in this photo is not a "Tonka" truck--although I'm sure there are lots of kids who would argue, including guys my own age who also played with Tonka Trucks.
It's actually a Komatsu truck, so "Thank you Komatsu for bringing back wonderful childhood memories! And Tellus, too!"
ATLANTApix and ATLANTAvidz of the tourATLANTA blog features a daily photo or video relative to Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!
If you missed my recent post on Tellus Science Museum, here's a very brief video that will give you a pictorial story about all the wonders awaiting you inside (and a few outside).
Yes, I know my posts are sometimes a bit long-winded, but I get excited and want to I want to share with you all the fun I've had. At the same time, I know there are so many who are just as busy, and busier, than I am, so I'm very glad that video is an option for the time-constrained.
Remember to post comments, ask questions, and let me know what attraction or museum you'd like to know more about!
ATLANTApix and ATLANTAvidz of the tourATLANTA blog features a daily photo or video relative to Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!
The Tellus Science Museum is a treasure just waiting to be discovered by the millions who live in and visit Atlanta. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at what you uncover, I believe. I like this museum so much because it has artifacts, exhibits, and humorous displays the likes of which I’ve never seen.
And that it’s a Smithsonian Institution affiliate museum adds to its allure.
I’d heard about this really cool science museum (Tellus) way out in Cartersville, Georgia, and wanted to see it, but the distance deterred me...until now.
On the day of my visit, I picked up a friend about 30 minutes later than originally planned (I had to stop by the office for a quick meeting) and then we were off. My GPS said the drive was a little more than an hour, but it took only about 40 minutes to get there. That’s a lot less time than many Atlanta citizens spend driving to work every day.
The Arrival
Geodesic Dome
We saw the grounds of the museum almost immediately after pulling off Interstate 75. There was no mistaking that we had reached our destination…the tell-tale signs being a geodesic dome, a huge satellite dish, an observatory, and an alternative fuel windmill.
The building itself is also uber-cool. It departs the traditional square box to such a degree that you know without a doubt that you’re somewhere special.
The components of the structure include black tiled units shaped like the “sandcrawler” transport that carried R2-D2 and C-3PO in one of the first scenes of Star Wars: A New Hope; sandy color more traditional stone units; a higher placed white plank structure; and taupe units covered in subway tiles. It looks like Frank Lloyd Wright meets The Jetsons.
Travis next to the "Tonka Truck"
Well, before we even got to the parking lot, we could see the biggest Tonka Truck (actually, it's a Komatsu) either of us had ever seen and you know guys and big trucks…we made a beeline straight to it where photo-making immediately ensued.
At 6’2” and 6’3”, neither of us even reached the top of the tire rim, let alone the top of the wheels…this thing is huge and so cool! There are several other rather large vehicles on display with this one, but the “Tonka Truck” was just so much fun.
Tellus Observatory
Even more excited to get started, we headed into the museum. The ticketing staff was incredibly nice (as were all the staff throughout our visit). We were asked if we’d like to see a planetarium show, that there were five to choose from. Not that I even had to ask, I pointed to the“The Search for Life: Are We Alone?” option and without a word, my friend gestured an affirmative.
“We’re both space people,” he said to the ticket agent. Maybe we should have clarified that we’re not actually from space, that we’re actually space enthusiasts, but I think they kind of figured that out…hopefully, anyway.
Again, more very pleasant members of the Tellus staff helped us with our lunch selections. While standing in line I noticed a lot of the expected snack items and then there were the Moon Pies, a Southern delicacy from my childhood. I opted for a salad and a mango dessert, but it was fun to see the Moon Pies (they were foretelling of the humor we’d see as we explored the museum).
As we lunched, we looked over the museum brochure reading blurbs about the four galleries, the planetarium, the Solar House, and the Fossil Dig and Gem Panning areas…there was so much to do!
The Planetarium
Tellus Planetarium
We got to the planetarium in plenty of time and were enthusiastically greeted. Don, the projectionist, joined us in the theatre (we were the only ones there) and chatted with us for a couple of minutes before time for the show to start.
He kindly gave us a pre-show of the stars, as would be seen from Cartersville that evening, before starting our “Are We Alone” show. We’d been there less than an hour and were already made to feel like we were VIP members.
The show was great and I learned something new (that we’re discovering approximately one new planet in our galaxy every month). I hope Don is working next time I visit…he was the perfect host.
The Minerals
Periodic Table of Elements
The entrance to the Weinman Mineral Gallery is marked by a seven-foot tall amethyst geode (that's actually white instead of purple). Its alluring call from across the great hall foretells the wonders to be found inside…and indeed they are wondrous.
I first have to tell you about one of the funniest exhibits I’ve ever seen in my entire life…their Periodic Table of Elements. The “table” is a rather large exhibit reaching heights taller than me and comprised of illuminated boxes.
Iridium
Expecting to find rather dry scientific information within the individual boxes, I was quite pleasantly surprised when I looked in the container for Iridium (I was curious because of my knowledge of the satellite company called Iridium).
The inscription, along with its Latin name, element number and symbol, reads “Iridium. Discovered 1803. The asteroid that likely killed off the dinosaurs had high levels of this element.” Inside the case is a toppled over green toy Stegosaurus!
The clever displays went on and on. And so did lots of color…
Crystal Ball
The Weinman Mineral Gallery, named for William Weinman, a mining pioneer who spent a great deal of time in Georgia, is a geologist’s dream come true. There are more than 50 cases containing a wide variety of the most colorful Georgia minerals and gems, as well as a considerable amount of gold.
Two of the coolest cases, I thought, contain a collection of minerals, each specimen in spherical form. There are also two very large spheres nearby, one of crystal, glowing white, and the other is of the deepest, blackest Obsidian.
Getting back to the chronology of the gallery, when you first walk in, the first exhibit shares with visitors how the Earth was formed billions of years ago, with a massive display of the Earth’s layers, from its crust to its core.
Mineral Spheres
One of the best surprises in the gallery was the fluorescent mineral room. With the touch of a button, you get to see various minerals under different spectra of light, which makes the minerals glow in a range of colors you’d only expect to see on a paintball field.
Another display features the twelve birthstone gems. I was born in January so my birthstone is garnet. In the display, garnet is shown in its natural form, its harvested form, as cut gems, and even set in a piece of jewelry.
This gallery contains fossilized trees; huge amethyst geodes; a nine-foot, nearly 5,000 pound copper boulder; and so much more! This exhibit has everything…including the kitchen sink!
That’s right…there’s an exhibit that shows what minerals are used in food and automobiles, as well as home construction using a cutaway of a kitchen sink as an example.
The Fossils
Glyptodon
A Tyrannosaurus Rex is ultra-cool no matter where you see him (or her). But couple it with dozens of other dinosaurs and you’ve got yourself one incredible exhibit!
The best thing about the Tellus Fossil Gallery, for me, was the inclusion of numerous dinosaurs that I’ve never even heard of or have never seen outside of the pages of a book (some not even in any of the now countless Hollywood films featuring dinosaurs).
The one that I personally found most fascinating was the Glyptodon, or the “Giant Armadillo.” At nine feet long, you would think it invincible, but it’s believed that the saber tooth cat and humans may have led to its extinction only 11,500 years ago.
Protostega
Speaking of nine feet, there’s on display the jaw of a Megaladon (a shark), which was larger than a school bus (evidenced by a pictorial placard comparing the size of the two side by side).
The Georgia Underwater exhibit is a must-see! It features some rather scary giant fish and one very cool reptile (a sea turtle or sorts) that are native to Georgia. I found myself fascinated with the Protostega, a sea turtle measuring 11 feet long and 15 feet wide. The Loggerhead Sea Turtle at Georgia Aquarium would seem like its tiny baby in comparison.
Others I really liked were the Triceratops; the 17-foot Xiphactinus; the Mammut; and a fossilized dinosaur egg from China, although it doesn’t note what kind of dinosaur would have hatched.
Not to compare, but—ok, that’s exactly what I’m doing—as much as I love the Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Tellus gives you more bones for your buck, more dinos for your dollar, and more of a collection for your coin. If you’re little one(s) is a dinosaur enthusiast, bring him or her to Tellus.
The Motion
Space Capsule
Ok, so that heading isn’t exactly telling. It’s actually called the Science in Motion Gallery. And its displays are a plethora of its namesake, particularly via vehicles. And by vehicles, I mean buggies, bikes, cars, boats, helicopters, airplanes, rockets, and space ships!
As much as I love space, when I was a sophomore in high school, I wanted nothing more than to be a helicopter pilot. Alas, that dream did not come true (not yet anyway), but my passion for the aircraft has remained steadfast.
The 1948 Bell-17 Helicopter on display became the center of gravity for me while touring this gallery…I was drawn to it multiple times.
1948 Bell-17 Helicopter
I also enjoyed the rocket models (they have a small model of the 200-foot tall Proton rocket, which I’ve seen up close at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan—very exciting!); the space capsules; and the space suits (especially the American one that is also a photo opportunity—you can put your head in the helmet).
There’s also a full-size replica of the 1903 Wright Flyer. This gallery covers more means of transportation than you would see in an Atlanta two-hour traffic jam!
The Big Tree
The Big Tree
The Big Tree is inside the Collins Family My Big Backyard gallery and it is indeed a “big” tree…towering at least two stories. Not having a kid or kids with us, we spent only a little time in this gallery, but enough to see how much fun it would have been had we visited many (many, many, many) moons ago.
There’s a barn, a green house, a big yard, a tool shed, and the Big Tree. Each of them has science discovery stations that include alternative fuel demonstrations, (safe) electricity experiments, and fully-contained biospheres.
I saw the word “Vulcan” and of course had to check it out.
We were greeted by Kathy, who, despite these particular attractions being geared toward children, made us feel welcome and right at home. She explained what the exhibits were all about and invited us to dig and pan.
Unable to resist the urge, we did in fact dig (I found a Sand Shark tooth) and we panned for gems (I found some amethyst and quartz). Lots of fun!
The Grounds
Georgia Tech Solar House
Well, the visit wasn’t complete without a tour of the grounds, beyond the initial excitement over the giant Tonka Truck, that is.
We went to the Solar House that was built by students at Georgia Tech and displayed on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. in 2007. I lived in D.C. at the time and vividly remember seeing the house then. A rather unique “small world” story, right?
Tours of the Solar House are available Thursdays-Sundays, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Also on the meticulously kept grounds are an observatory (I don’t think it’s operational though), solar and wind energy devices, and some large scale satellite dishes.
The Return
Will I go back to Tellus? Let it be said far and wide that I will indeed return to Tellus, to explore the museum in greater detail, to attend one of their monthly lectures, or even one of their special events.
There are also quite a few other museums in Cartersville, so I want to explore those, too. And while I’m in town, I’ll definitely stop by Coconut Ice Cream again in downtown Cartersville for another cone of coconut ice cream—delicious!
Touring the Tellus Science Museum
Date toured: Friday, May 20, 2011 Location: 100 Tellus Drive, Cartersville, GA (directions and map) Parking: Free onsite parking Cost: Adults $12, Seniors $10, Children/Students $8, Active Military Free Website: http://www.tellusmuseum.org/
