Local Cub Scouts install solar system project
Members of Breckenridge’s Cub Scout Pack 81 show off the scaled-down sun they installed in the park on the corner of Walker Street and Breckenridge Avenue. (Photo courtesy of Meredith Wunsch)
How far is it from the sun to Neptune? If the sun were only six feet across and located in Breckenridge’s downtown “pocket park,” Neptune would be all the way out at the Elks Lodge turnoff, according to a local Scout troop project.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Bears from Breckenridge’s Cub Scout Pack 81 placed a drastically scaled-down representation of the solar system throughout Breckenridge, beginning with a six-foot sun in front of the fountain in the park on the corner of Walker Street and Breckenridge Avenue.
According to the pack’s leaders, the boys were learning about the solar system, including such facts as the Earth is 92 million miles away from the sun, Jupiter is 483 million miles from the sun and Neptune is 2.7 billion miles from the sun.
In order to make those numbers easier for the boys to understand, they scaled everything down, taking the sun from 864,575 miles in diameter to six feet, and then placed the sun in the corner park. The planets are situated along the north side of Walker Street (U.S. Highway 180), atop white and green striped posts.
The first planet is in the 100 block of West Walker, while the farthest official planet, Neptune, is located almost to FM 2231.
The exact locations of all the planets are:
- Mercury: Jon Trammel’s Gunsmithing Shop, 120 W. Walker
- Venus: In front of the Breckenridge Courthouse (east side), 200 W. Walker
- Earth: In front of the Breckenridge Courthouse (west side), 200 W. Walker
- Mars: In front of Baxley’s Auto Lube and Tire Center, 320 W. Walker
- Jupiter: West of Chicken Express, 922 W. Walker
- Saturn: In front of The Pizzeria, 1600 W. Walker
- Uranus: In front of Higginbotham’s Ace Hardware Store, 3720 W. Walker
- Neptune: About 1,000 feet east of the Turnoff to the Elks Lodge, FM 2231
The scaled-down solar system is planned to be on display through Saturday, March 24.
Information provided by by Meredith and Matt Wunsch, Cub Scout Pack 81 Cubmaster
Cutline, top photo: Members of Cub Scout Pack 81 placed a scaled-down replica of the solar system along West Walker Street/U.S. Highway 180 West, including this Earth, located in front of the courthouse. (Photo courtesy of Meredith Wunsch)
