You Can Touch a Piece of the Moon in East Portland

Plaza del Sol, just past Portland’s city limits on Southeast Stark Street at 187th Avenue, isn’t just a model of the solar system. It’s a piece of it.

By Julia Comnes

Dreaming of touching the stars, but can't afford a $250,000 Virgin Galactic ticket? You might fare better if you settle for a touching a planet or a moon.

Plaza del Sol, just past Portland's city limits on Southeast Stark Street at 187th Avenue, isn't just a model of the solar system. It's a piece of it.

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"Touch [the painting of] the moon and you're actually touching the moon. Stand on Mars, and you're really standing on Mars," said Michael Orelove, who helped design the installation and provided the meteorites. According to Orelove, both the sphere representing Mars and the painting of the moon were painted with dust from the actual celestial bodies, courtesy of Earth-fallen meteorites that also grazed the two satellites.

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