The Solar System Walk at Alpha Ridge Park is a scale model walk-through of our solar system. It is spread across 0.4 mi of the park (see map below) with informational lectern signposts for each planet placed at their relative distances from the sun. On our scale, each large step is the equivalent of about 4 million miles – giving you some sense of the vastness our solar system (and the universe).
This walk is laid out in a loop so that you start and end at the observatory. It is open and ready for your own self-guided tour any time the park is open – usually dawn to dusk, seven days a week. Special guided tours can be arranged during public star parties and other public HAL observatory events.
The solar system walk was the brain child of former HAL member Colin Brinster who performed many of the tasks as part of his Eagle Scout work. The hardware was provided by the “Friends of Max Cowan”. HAL Board Member, Joel Goodman, drove this effort. Special Thanks to Howard County Recreation and Parks for their support.