June 23, 2004
Scale model project out of this world
Traverse Bay Community Solar System spaced out along stretch of TART trail
By
Herald staff writer
It takes about 10 minutes to travel from the Earth to the sun on a bike - that is if you are traveling on the TART trail in Traverse City.
The Traverse Bay Community Solar System, a grand scale model of the solar system scaled to distance, is located on five miles of the Traverse Area Recreational Trail from Bunker Hill Road in Acme to Hull Park behind the Traverse Area District Library in Traverse City. The project held its grand opening Saturday.
Three-foot fiberglass spheres were transformed into representations of each of the nine planets and were placed along the trail as part of the project envisioned by local artist and science teacher David Kirby. Informational plaques accompany each of the planets.
Kirby, who teaches physics at Traverse City West Senior High, came up with the idea in 2001 when talking to his students about the solar system.
"Some of my students said how much fun it would be to have a big model of the solar system with all of the planets spaced out. That got me thinking," said Kirby who got the ball rolling on the project.
"I called around for a place that made really big spheres. I found a place in Pennsylvania that makes three foot, fiberglass ones, and that's how we got started," Kirby said.
When the semi load of spheres arrived, Kirby had to round up people who were willing to help get the project off the ground - literally.
With cooperation from Traverse City Light and Power, who agreed to donate the poles used to suspend the planets, plenty of fund-raisers and the work of local artists, the Traverse Bay Community Solar System became reality.
"Everyone has been so great, this was not a controversial idea. No one is against art and education," said Kirby who painted several of the planets himself.
"This project has brought a lot of smiles."