In the spring of 1999, students and staff at Tower View Alternative School in Red Wing designed and began construction of a 1:600,000,000 scale model of our solar system. The model was completed over 3 school years and is located on the grounds of the Anderson Center for the Arts and along the Cannon Valley Trail. Markers for the Sun, Mercury, Venus, and Earth are placed within the Marshall Reforestation Project Sculpture Park on the grounds at the Anderson Center. The remaining planet markers can be found along the south side of the Cannon Valley Trail between the Tower View campus and a point approximately 1.5 km west of Welch Station.
Each marker conforms to the 1:600,000,000 scale of the model in image size and location. The solar marker is a 2.3 meter diameter sundial that is placed in the Marshall Reforestation Project. Individual planetary markers are cast concrete blocks bearing a scaled representation along with the name of each planet. Pluto is included in the model as it was considered a planet at the time of the construction.
The Sundial at Tower View
N 44 degrees, 34.335 minutes
W 92 degrees, 38.333 minutes
Mercury
N 44 degrees, 34.292 minutes
W 92 degrees, 38.376 minutes
Venus
N 44 degrees, 34.247 minutes
W 92 degrees, 38.385 minutes
Earth and Moon
N 44 degrees, 34.245 minutes
W 92 degrees, 38.470 minutes
Mars
N 44 degrees, 34.436 minutes
W 92 degrees, 38.446 minutes
Jupiter
N 44 degrees, 34.391 minutes
W 92 degrees, 39.212 minutes
Saturn
N 44 degrees, 34.203 minutes
W 92 degrees, 40.014 minutes
Uranus
N 44 degrees, 33.144 minutes
W 92degrees, 41.603 minutes
Neptune
N 44 degrees, 33.785 minutes
W 92 degrees, 43.943 minutes
Pluto
N 44 degrees, 33.239 minutes
W 92 degrees, 45.379 minutes
Thanks to the following:
Jones Family Foundation
Anderson Center
Cannon Valley Trail
Red Wing High School Metals Class, 1998-1999
Neufeldt Industrial Services
Tower View Students and Staff, 1998-2001
