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Mount Vernon Solar System Model

Sign marking the asteroid belt of the Mount Vernon, Iowa solar system model
Sign marking the asteroid belt of the Mount Vernon, Iowa, solar system model. (May 7, 2010)

One of the best parts of traveling is discovering interesting things right in one’s own neighborhood.  While living in eastern Iowa I encountered this sign in Mount Vernon, a small college town fifteen miles away from both Iowa City and Cedar Rapids.  It is the home of Cornell College, one of the most well respected liberal arts schools in the state.  Intrigued by the sign, I took a picture and assumed that it had something to do with a meteor that may have landed nearby.  My guess was that because college towns are quirky this was simply someone’s idea of a fun joke.

Eventually I learned what was really going on.  It turns out that a local amateur astronomer convinced the local community to create a scale model of the solar system.  The sun is located at school, with the various planets scattered on buildings and road signs throughout town.  The asteroid belt is marked by the sign above.  Apparently Pluto is five miles out in the country.  Even though it has been demoted, Pluto’s orbit is marked a by wreath in honor of its former planetary status.

It turns out college towns are quirky, but what a wonderful way to be quirky.  Thanks to the Mt. Vernon Solar Tourist Society for such an entertaining project.

2 thoughts on “Mount Vernon Solar System Model

  • Tim Patton

    Mr. Williams,
    My uncle, Dennis Patton, is the artist who created the “Solar Experience” you wrote about. He also is the artist who created the sculpture of the people running, which is on display at the Iowa airport. I’ve recently reconnected with him after 25 years, (he’s now 75) and he shared with me about the Solar Experience he had created in Iowa, and he wondered with Modern technology, if I could find out about it. With out your blog, I would have nothing to share with him. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Tim,

      I’m so glad that my little neck of the online world provided you a chance to share a special moment with your uncle. The solar system art project was one of my favorite surprises about traveling through eastern Iowa. It’s even cooler to see that he is also responsible for the sculpture at the Cedar Rapids airport. I’ve been through there many, many times. It was fun to do a little research on your uncle and learn that he had also done some unique work, i.e. “woman’s head,” that ended up at the Iowa DOT building in Ames.

      It was fun to find out more about him. Please give him my best and thank him for his work.

      Thanks for stopping by.

      Mike

      Reply

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