Emporia State and the Peterson Planetarium will collaborate with Emporia Main Street on creating a permanent scale model of the solar system throughout campus and the downtown area, a project funded by Main Street America’s Science Discovery Grant. 

According to Mark Brown, instructor of physics and director of Peterson Planetarium, the project will showcase the solar system with planet models that are true to size and scaled to distance. The model will start at Plumb Hall with the Sun and innermost three planets residing on campus. It will then extend south down Commercial Street and Highway 99, reaching Soden’s Grove and beyond, featuring the remaining planets along with the asteroid belt. 

The grant application for the project was a collaborative effort between Brown, ESU outreach council chair and STEM outreach director Daphne Mayes, and Casey Woods, director of Emporia Main Street. 

“I brought forth the idea to my outreach team and then to Emporia Main Street. So far, the response has been positive and brings with it a number of opportunities for the ESU campus, City of Emporia, and I’ll go as far as saying the state and beyond,” said Brown. 

The fabrication lab at Emporia Main Street will be used to create part of the scaled models. Woods says that the collaboration will “elevate Emporia State University’s science focus in the general public while also generating a project that bridges the space between campus and the community.” 

“The exposure of Peterson Planetarium to the general public through the model will allow more public event usage, and it is our hope to engage the experts at Emporia State University to facilitate “astro-tourism” activities that take advantage of our relatively low light pollution in the surrounding areas in comparison to more metro communities around Emporia,” he said. “We hope to bring people to town as celestial events like asteroid showers and “parade of planets” activities allow, both showcasing Emporia State University and our community to a broader audience.”

Woods hopes that the model shows Emporia’s dedication to education while serving as an attraction to both locals and visitors.

“This unique display should act as another source of community pride, and also an example for those that would advocate for our region of the collaboration between “town and gown” as Emporia State University and Emporia Main Street work together to improve the region,” he said.