The dome of the downtown clock tower would be "the sun" in the solar system project. (Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Real-to-scale solar system models to be spread around Lethbridge

Dec 11, 2019 | 10:41 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The Lethbridge Astronomy Society believes their latest project will provide great educational values and recreational opportunities to the city.

President Tom Anderson wants to install models of the sun and our solar system’s eight planets across the city with each being to scale in terms of their size and distance from each other.

The dome of the downtown Canada Post office would be the sun, and at approximately 5.5 meters tall, the planets would be scaled to that size.

Mercury will be located at the downtown Lethbridge Public Library branch, and as the smallest planet orbiting the sun, would be around 1.25 inches.

The model for Venus will be outside the courthouse, Earth will be located at the fire hall on 4th Ave South, Mars will be near the Galt Museum by the coulees, Jupiter will be by the University of Lethbridge’s new Science Commons building, Saturn will be at Chinook High School, Uranus will be in Broxburn, and Neptune will be in Park Lake.

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A map of the proposed locations of the planet models. (Supplied by Lethbridge Astronomy Society)

The stainless steel ball representing Earth will be around the same size as a tennis ball, while the largest planet, Jupiter, will be two feet tall.

Anderson says Pluto is technically not a planet anymore and will not be part of this project, but if it were, it would likely be somewhere in Raymond.

“There’s immense educational value. We’re on the edge of the space age and I think most people unless you study astronomy, you don’t realize how big space is. Even in our own tiny little neighbourhood of the solar system, it is huge.”

Some examples of what the planet models could look like, based on a similar project in Czechoslovakia. (Supplied by Lethbridge Astronomy Society)

LNN asked Anderson if people might have a tough time finding these models given their small sizes and dispersed locations.

“That’s another lesson about the scale of the universe, right?”

Once completed, this will be the largest to-scale model of the solar system in Canada and the ninth-largest in the world. To visit all of the participating planets on foot, he estimates that it would be the equivalent of running a marathon.

“They can be a really big draw for tourists. They can tour the solar system right here in Lethbridge – it’ll be the biggest one in Canada. It offers a whole lot of other opportunities for recreation, for business marketing. You know, if Mars happens to be in the sky, they could have a Mars Day sale and invite people to go down to the Galt and look at the model that’s placed there.”

Anderson spoke to Lethbridge City Council about the project at Monday’s meeting.

Some in attendance suggested having scavenger hunts, while others thought a mobile app with a QR code would be a great way for people to learn more about each planet.

The purpose of the presentation to council was merely to ask for permission to put four of the planets on city property. The motion from council passed unanimously.

The Lethbridge Astronomy Society has raised all of the money for the solar system themselves, so this would not cost taxpayers anything.

The Society has already received letters of support from Lethbridge Tourism, Chinook High School, Lethbridge Public Library, County of Lethbridge, Heart of Our City Committee, University of Lethbridge, Galt Museum & Archives, Alberta Parks – Park Lake, and the Lethbridge Astronomy Society.

Anderson hopes to have the project fully completed by the summer of 2021. The group still has to finalize the designs of the models and to secure the exact locations.