The Lethbridge Astronomical Society, along with many local partners, came together to create a new scale model of the solar system.
This is only the second of its kind in Canada.
According to the organization, it is almost impossible to really understand the size and size of our solar system, so they decided to shrink it.
“It’s one of the biggest models like the one in the world, but the good thing about it is that it’s still small enough to see everything in one day quite easily,” said Society President Tom Anderson.
The clock tower in the center was used as the initial scale for the model and began to move from there, using locations in Lethbridge and the model accommodation area:
- The sun in the clock tower in the center of the post office;
- Mercury in the main branch of the Lethbridge Public Library;
- Venus in the Old Court;
- Earth and Moon in the fire department in the city center;
- Mars in the Galt Museum and Archives;
- Jupiter at the University of Lethbridge Science Commons Building;
- Saturn at Chinook High School;
- Uranium in Broxburn Vegetables & Café; and
- Neptune in the Provincial Park Lake Park.
Plaques everywhere give information about the planets with a QR code that you can scan to dive even deeper into space.
“I think the interest is there, and I think people will want to come here and see this model, because the next one is closest to Quebec,” Anderson said.
“The others are mostly in Europe and the United States.”
The model was presented at the Chinook Regional High School.
Reed Decilia, a student at the school, was asked by the Astronomical Society and the school department to make a video highlighting the model.
“It was really fun to visit different places and see areas of Lethbridge that I wouldn’t normally visit,” Decilia told CTV News.
“Areas like Broxburn or just a casual trip to Lake Park on Tuesday.”
The solar system model costs more than $ 40,000.
The money comes from the Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwest Alberta, TELUS, Richardson Oilseed, U of L, Lethbridge School Division and Ward Bros. Construction.
The original idea appeared in 2004, but it took nearly 15 years to emerge.
After receiving funding in 2019, it took more than two years to complete.
In total, the model stretches for 20 kilometers with a scale ratio of 1: 253,000,000.
The mayor hopes this will help attract visitors to the city.
“It’s exciting, it’s tourism,” said Blaine Higen, mayor of Lethbridge.
“It’s just another tourist thing we can put in our travel toolkit when you come to Lethbridge. So it’s exciting.”
For more information, visit the Lethbridge Astronomical Society website.
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