Santa Monica

A Round Icon Celebrates Our Globe's Big Day

The Pacific Wheel will become a "spinning globe" and feature green and blue patterns on Earth Day.

Pacific Wheel

Honestly? It isn't impossible to take a photo of the entire Earth and have the whole planet fully appear in the frame.

It's been done before, of course, but the tricky bit is you have to be quite far from this planet to make it happen, like Voyager 1 was when the spacecraft captured the astonishing "Pale Blue Dot" image over thirty years ago.

Still?

There is a large round-ish object that takes on some of the vibrant vibes of our home turf, and you don't need to venture beyond the Solar System to take a cosmically cute snapshot: You only need to swing by the edge of the Pacific Ocean, on the evening of April 22, to find a "little" Earth spinning at Santa Monica Pier.

It's the Pacific Wheel, a world-famous attraction that will take on the appearance of a "spinning globe," as well as patterns brimming with green and blue hues, on Earth Day.

Or make that Earth Night: The free show begins at sunset, which will happen around 7:31 p.m., and will wrap at midnight.

You can watch this littler Earth spin via the webcam, or stop by the pier for some Friday fun times and the planet-pretty presentation.

And while the Pacific Wheel's planetary cred is strong — it is actually located on the planet, and always shall be, we'll confidently guess — the 9-story ride draws its dazzle from something that's off-planet and quite far from our home turf.

Solar power is what gives the whimsical wheel its get-up-and-go, its ability to spin and sparkle, making the Pacific Wheel a true frontrunner in the field of "enjoyable pastimes that are also eco-minded."

Talk about a helpful handshake of galactic proportions: Our nearest star has partnered with an Earth-based object that is well-known for producing smiles in the earthlings that experience it.

Sun, you rule. Thanks, bestie.

Enjoy the Sun-strong, Earth-inspiration attraction, and its uplifting Earth Night tribute, on the evening of April 22, 2022.

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