In honor of Mars Day, which was March 5, and with the upcoming total solar eclipse to be viewable from our area on April 8, it is only fitting that one thinks about the Solar System Model going along U.S. Route 1 from Houlton to Presque Isle.
In fact, the scale model of the planet Mars is located in Presque Isle next to the “Welcome to Presque Isle” sign, approximately 1.5 miles south of the University of Maine at Presque Isle. This solar system model is the largest scale model of the solar system in the Western Hemisphere and second largest in the world.
It was 24 years ago on May 1, 2000 that the University of Maine at Presque Isle announced the construction of the 40-mile-long scale model. On June 14, 2003, the Maine Solar System Model was officially unveiled with dignitaries such as Sen. Susan Collins and astronaut Rex Walheim present.
The model has been featured in such national publications as the Smithsonian magazine, Air and Space magazine, Science magazine and AAA New England Journey. In addition, the Maine Solar System model has received an award from the Maine Tourism Association.
According to the solar system model’s website, it “was constructed over a 4-year period with no major grant funding and reflects the hard work, dedication and pride of this small, rural community. About 700 people participated in the building of the steel and fiberglass planets and many donated their time to help make this unique vision a reality.”
Most recently, in October 2023, the University of Maine at Presque Isle announced plans for a three-dimensional sun to be located along U.S. Route 1. Currently, a panel representing the sun sits inside Folsom Hall on the university’s campus.
The Maine Solar System Model has now grown to cover nearly 100 miles and represents the planets in a scale of 1:93 million with one mile equal to the distance from the Earth to the sun. (The models of the earth and its moon can be found near Percy’s Auto Sales.
Mars is the fourth planet in the solar system and at its closest is more than 33 million miles from Earth. It was named by the ancient Romans for their god of war because of its reddish color, which was reminiscent of blood. The planet is visible by the naked eye in the sky and is often quite bright.
The first person to view Mars through a telescope was none other than astronomer Galileo Galilei in 1610.
Kimberly R. Smith is the secretary/treasurer of the Presque Isle Historical Society.
