New to-scale solar system model in Lethbridge is out of this world

The Lethbridge Astronomy Society, along with multiple local partners, have come together to create a new, to-scale model of the solar system.

It's only the second one of its kind in Canada.

According to the organization, it's nearly impossible to truly understand the size and magnitude of our solar system, which is why they decided to shrink it down.

"It's one of the largest models like this in the world, but the nice thing about it is its still small enough that you can see the whole thing in a day pretty easily," said society president Tom Anderson.

The downtown clock tower was used as the initial scale for the model and starts moving its way out from there, using locations across Lethbridge and area to host the models:

• The Sun at the Downtown Post Office Clock Tower;
• Mercury at the Lethbridge Public Library’s Main Branch;
• Venus at the Old Courthouse;
• Earth & Moon at the Downtown Fire Station;
• Mars at the Galt Museum & Archives;
• Jupiter at the University of Lethbridge Science Commons Building;
• Saturn at Chinook High School;
• Uranus at Broxburn Vegetables & Café; and
• Neptune at Park Lake Provincial Park.

Plaques at each site give information about the planets with a QR code you can scan to dive even deeper into the cosmos.

"The interest I think is out there, and I think people will want to come here and see this model because the next closest one is in Quebec," said Anderson.

"The other ones are mostly in Europe and in the U.S."

The model was unveiled at Chinook Regional High School.

Reid Decillia, a student at the school, was asked by the Astronomy Society and School Division to make a video highlighting the model.

"It was actually really fun to visit the different locations and see areas of Lethbridge that I wouldn't normally visit," Decillia told CTV News.

"Areas like out in Broxburn or just randomly a trip to Park Lake on a Tuesday."

The solar system model cost more than $40,000.

The money came from funding from the Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta, TELUS, Richardson Oilseed, the U of L, Lethbridge School Division and Ward Bros. Construction.

The initial idea came about back in 2004, but took close to 15 years to get off the ground.

Once it received the funding in 2019, it took over two years to complete.

In total, the model stretches over 20 kilometres with a scale ratio of 1:253,000,000.

The mayor hopes it will help attract visitors to town.

"It's exciting, it's a tourism thing," said Blaine Hyggen, mayor of Lethbridge.

"This is just another tourism thing that we can put into our tool chest for tourist activities when you come to Lethbridge. So this is exciting."

For more information, you can visit the Lethbridge Astronomy Society's website.