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UPDATED 11 APRIL 2007
CLICK THIS IMAGE FOR A SELECTION OF LARGER, HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGES OF EACH SITE.
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The Idea
We live under truly astounding conditions. As we all breathe the thin film of air on this "pale blue dot" — an exceedingly rare, and fragile planet that sustains and protects us — we're going around a star, one of many stars in a massive, seething galaxy. Planet Trek is The Planetary Society's way of bringing an accurate perspective to our work-a-day world, and at the same time celebrating the unique City of Pasadena, with its direct connections to interplanetary space, to education, and to the arts.
Planet Trek is a proposed set of ten permanent sculptures at scale distances in Pasadena. Each of the ten Planet Trek sites will sport an attractive imaginative sculpture, and a scale model of a Solar System body: the Sun, with each of its eight classical planets including, of course, the one we live on. The Pluto site will serve as an introduction to the dwarf planets and Kuiper Belt Objects.
The envisioned sites have a subtle attractive beauty that will compel attention — the jewels in the Crown City. When you investigate one, you'll see the planet's scale size and learn all about it. The much larger, imaginative hands-on sculpture near each small scale model suggests certain qualities about the planet. Some of them can be rotated, but they only move in the correct direction. Photovoltaic displays near the Sun site demonstrate renewable solar energy while generating useable power. There will be a map at each site, and when you follow it to the next planet, you'll realize just how much space there is in the real solar system where we live.
And that's the whole purpose of Planet Trek — to illustrate in a fascinating and enjoyable way, what an amazing universe we live in together. It's an educational marriage of science, art, and technology.
Unique among Solar System Scale Models in the world, Planet Trek will feature 100 Great Questions of our time, engraved on 100 plaques set at ground level, ten at each site. Their purpose in Planet Trek will be to add stimulus for thought, wonder, and conversation.
The complete set of ten Planet Trek sites will offer an unforgettable destination of discovery, fun, and "paridigm-shift" learning — a gift for inquisitive people of all ages.
A Winning Team
Renowned sculptors Jud Fine, Barbara McCarren, and Ned Kahn were selected in a world-wide juried competition for their brilliant design for Planet Trek. Click on their images below to learn more about each of them and their compelling projects.
Barbara McCarren and Jud Fine
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Ned Kahn with his wife
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The Planet Trek project is managed for The Planetary Society by Charles Kohlhase, pictured at right. An accomplished photographer and artist in his own right, Kohlhase is better known for having managed the science and mission design efforts for the JPL/NASA Voyager Outer Solar System Mission, the NASA/ESA Cassini-Huygens Mission to Saturn and Titan, as well as extensive design work on many other interplanetary missions. Click the image to learn more about Mr. Kohlhase.
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Right for Pasadena
PlanetTrek makes a strong connection among art, interplanetary space, education, and technology which are woven throughout the Pasadena community via...
It's a perfect blend of art, science, technology, and education — a new cultural attraction for visitors to the city, and a treat for residents. It's educational. It's motivational. And it offers an enjoyable experience. School classes can visit the sites. Businesses can plan activities and special promotions connected with it.
View our list of people who support the idea with enthusiasm. Many of them are prominent leaders in Pasadena.
There are several other notable large permanent solar system scale models around the world. Planet Trek in Pasadena will be among the finest, and arguably the most intriguing. Planet Trek is unique with its 100 Great Questions and its solar-electricity demonstrations. The image at left shows the Saturn model, part of the Solar System Walk in the Swiss Alps. Click the image for more information on some other Solar System Scale Models. You'll also see how you can make at a scale just right for your school or back yard.
Have a Closer Look
Take a virtual tour of the proposed Planet Trek installation. Start by viewing this page, where you'll find an illustrated description of the typical planetary sculpture site. From there, you can continue your tour of all ten Planet Trek sites as envisioned by our team of renowned sculptors.
Current Status
As of today, we have received an initial, very promising response from the Pasadena Arts & Culture Commission, from whom we will be seeking formal approval soon. The Pasadena Unified School District has passed a very enthusiastic resolution endorsing Planet Trek.
The Planetary Society is in the stage of identifying private or corporate donors to fund this inspiring project. The total required is $1.2 million for all ten sites, but a lead gift of one quarter that amount will get construction started. Planet Trek of course has the advantage that charitable contributions to The Planetary Society are tax-deductible in the United States, as The Planetary Society is a scientific and educational nonprofit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Once funding for the Planet Trek sculpture sites has been secured, we'll begin accepting donations for the Great Question plaques from a hundred individuals or companies wishing to be recognized as contributors. Watch for the announcement here at this website.
Thank you for your interest.
Please visit again from time to time.
The Planetary Society
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