Your Guide to — the Lethbridge Solar System Model

Have you ever wondered how far away the planets really are? When you look up in the sky on a clear night you can see the moon, stars and some planets way off in the distance — or at least the light for them which is travelling at a distance up to 300,000 km per second to reach Earth! For thousands of years, people have been fascinated with the sky and everything it holds but it is hard to imagine how far away the planets, sun and moon really are. Luckily the Lethbridge Astronomy Society has brought our solar system to our level with a 1:253,000,000 scale ratio model throughout the city — and beyond! 

Starting at the centre of our solar system — and city — you will find the sun, on top of the historic Clock Tower located in Downtown Lethbridge. With a 5.5 metre diameter, the sun sets the scale size reflected in the planets throughout the city. Take a stroll through our historic downtown to the planet closest to the sun; Mercury — located at the Lethbridge Public Library Main Branch. Love to learn? Each stop has a QR code you can scan with your phone to learn more about each planet — or pop into the library to learn more and to access their free wifi! With more stops downtown from Venus and the Earth/ Moon, you’ll wander past many local stores that are definitely worth a stop in too! 

Continue your love of Learning at the Galt Museum and Archives — the location of Mars. Once you have learned about the solar system pop into the museum to learn about Southern Alberta and Lethbridge History! 

Jupiter is a bit more of a jump! Head to the patio of the Science Commons Building at the University of Lethbridge to not only see the Jupiter model but also amazing views of the High-Level Bridge! See if you can spot the sun across the coulee atop the clock tower! Explore Lethbridge’s west side as you travel to Saturn! 

Your trip through the solar system might be making you a bit hungry. Luckily the next stop — Uranus — is out at Broxburn Vegetables and Cafe! With a strawberry and raspberry u-pick in the summertime, vegetables grown on-site and a cute cafe to stop for a bite to eat, Uranus is the tasty stop on the tour! 

 Relax in nature as you find Neptune out at Park Lake Provincial Park! Take a dip in Park Lake, have a picnic or stay the night as you take in the vast size of our solar system and digest all that you learned! 

Start your Solar System Tour!

Check out our pre-made itinerary to add all the planets then personal your tour with our map feature with even more amazing Lethbridge attractions! 

Want to know more?

Check out the Lethbridge Astronomy Society website!