Heading to The County for the total solar eclipse on April 8? There’s even more astronomical fun to discover all along Route 1. For nearly 100 miles, the largest scale model of the solar system in the western hemisphere — and the second largest in the world — stretches from Topsfield to Presque Isle.
The model celebrated its 20th anniversary last year and continues to grow, with a three-dimensional Sun model in the works and other dwarf planets to be located in Lille and Madawaska.
Built entirely by volunteers, the model was created at a scale of one mile equaling one astronomical unit. One AU is the distance from the Earth to the Sun, or 93,000,000 miles — meaning a person traveling at seven miles an hour alongside the model would be moving at the speed of light.
The Sun is located at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, while former planet Pluto is located in Houlton and dwarf planet Eris is in Topsfield. As you plan your Eclipse visit, don’t miss this incredible model that’s part scavenger hunt and part science education.
Bus tours of the solar system model will also be available. For more information, go to visitaroostook.com