Your Guide to the Lethbridge Solar System Model
Your Guide to the Lethbridge Solar System Model
Have you ever wondered how far away theplanets really are? When you look up in the sky on a clear night you can seethe moon, stars and some planets way off in the distance — or at least thelight for them which is travelling at a speed up to 300,000 km per second toreach Earth! For thousands of years, people have been fascinated with the skyand everything it holds; it can be hard to imagine how far away the planets,sun and moon really are. Luckily the Lethbridge Astronomy Society hasbrought our solar system to our level with a 1:253,000,000 scale ratio modelthroughout the city — and beyond!
Check out the video by Chinook High Schoolstudent Reid Decillia, who put together a video presentation together for theunveiling showing off the different planets and their placements around thecity!
Starting at the centre of our solar system— and city — you will find the Sun, on top of the historicClock Tower located in Downtown Lethbridge. With a 5.5metre diameter, the sun sets the scale size reflected in the planets throughoutthe city. Take a stroll through our historic downtown to the planet closest tothe sun; Mercury — located at the Lethbridge PublicLibrary Main Branch. Love to learn? Each stop has a QR code youcan scan with your phone to learn more about each planet — or pop into thelibrary to learn more and to access their free wifi! With more stops downtownfrom Venusand the Earth/ Moon, you’ll wander pastmany local stores that are definitely worth a stop intoo!
Continue your love of Learning at the Galt Museum and Archives —the location of Mars. Once you have learned about the solar systempop into the museum to learn about Southern Alberta and LethbridgeHistory!
Jupiter isa bit more of a jump! Head to the patio of the ScienceCommons Building at the University of Lethbridge to not only see theJupiter model but also amazing views of the High-Level Bridge! See if you canspot the sun across the coulee atop the clock tower! Explore Lethbridge’s westside as you travel to Saturn!
Your trip through the solar system might bemaking you a bit hungry. Luckily the next stop — Uranus — isout at BroxburnVegetables and Cafe! With a strawberry and raspberry u-pick in thesummertime, vegetables grown on-site, and a cute cafe to stop for a bite toeat, Uranus is the tasty stop on the tour!
Relax in nature as you find Neptune outat Park Lake Provincial Park! Take a dip in Park Lake, have apicnic or stay the night as you take in the vast size of our solar system anddigest all that you learned!
Start your Solar System Tour!
Check out our pre-made itinerary to add allthe planets then personal your tour with our map feature with even more amazingLethbridge attractions!
Want to know more?
Check out the Lethbridge Astronomy Societywebsite!