Maine Solar System Model

Built by the University of Maine at Presque Isle and the space enthusiasts of Aroostook County, the Maine Solar System Model covers the vast expanses of space in just 40 miles of Earth.

A true community construction project, the planetary model of our solar system was created by local high school and technical school students under the university’s direction to bring attention to their area. At 1:93,000,000 scale, the model uses sculpted and painted planets on tall poles to map our planetary neighbors.

Beginning with the sun, represented as a giant yellow ring cutting right through the Northern Maine Museum of Science, the model branches out across the rural highways and byways of the state. Each planet is then represented with a scale model installed in representative distances.

Update as of June 2021: Many of the planets have faded and the entire site is in need of restoration.