| Paper No. 102-0 | ||
| CONSTRUCTION OF A FORTY MILE SOLAR SYSTEM SCALE MODEL IN NORTHERN MAINE | ||
|
MCCARTNEY, Kevin, Univ of Maine at Presque Isle, Presque Isle, ME 24069, mccartnk@polaris.umpi.maine.edu. The Maine Solar System Model is a forty mile single-scale model currently under construction along Route 1 between Houlton and Presque Isle, in Aroostook County, northern Maine. The scale is 1:93,000,000, or 1 mile equals an astronomical unit. The model will include the Sun, nine planets and seven moons, with diameters and distances all to the single scale. Except for the Sun, all components will be three-dimensional and built to withstand the northern Maine climate. Construction is generally of steel with fiberglass globes positioned on steel posts at least ten feet above ground and 55 feet off the center of the roadway. Road safety concerns require that the Jupiter and Saturn sites include parking lots. Educational information associated with the model will be provided on brochures, since textual information at the sites would require excessive stops and parking problems. Learning exercises will also be provided by travelling trunks prepared by Maine teachers to support the State of Maine Learning Results. This is a community project with the various components being built by ten area schools and with active assistance from many community members and organizations. It is being built with very little money, with most materials and labor donated. | ||
|
GSA Annual Meeting, November 5-8, 2001
General Information for this Meeting | ||
| Session No. 102--Booth# 40 Geoscience Education (Posters) Hynes Convention Center: Hall D 8:00 AM-12:00 PM, Wednesday, November 7, 2001 | ||
© Copyright 2001 The Geological Society of America (GSA), all rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to the author(s) of this abstract to reproduce and distribute it freely, for noncommercial purposes. Permission is hereby granted to any individual scientist to download a single copy of this electronic file and reproduce up to 20 paper copies for noncommercial purposes advancing science and education, including classroom use, providing all reproductions include the complete content shown here, including the author information. All other forms of reproduction and/or transmittal are prohibited without written permission from GSA Copyright Permissions. | ||