Everyone is invited to participate! You can help make a model planet, spread the word about the project, or donate funds to help pay for materials.

Make a model planet

Check out the orbit maps to scout out locations where a model could be placed. If you view the maps with a GPS-enabled mobile device, then you should be able to see your own location on the map. When you have found a potential location, get permission from whoever is in charge of the property to place a model there. Once you tell them about the Tampa Bay Solar System, most people will be excited to help out.

Check the individual planet section on the main page for the recommended diameter measurements for your model. How to make it is up to you. Representations of the planets can be realistic or abstract. Following are a few examples from other models.

Here is how the Peoria Community Solar System represents Jupiter:

Photo courtesy of Peoria Community Solar System

Here is a representation of Venus from the Sweden Solar System:

Photo courtesy of Sweden Solar System

The Maine Solar System Model represented Neptune this way:

Photo courtesy of The Maine Solar System Model

Here is Sweden’s model of Uranus:

Photo courtesy of Sweden Solar System

Models can be constructed from wood, metal, plastic or other materials. If you are interested in working on a particular model, get in touch with us.

Wherever a planet model is placed, a plaque or other informational display of some kind should be included explaining what the model is doing there and allowing people to learn more about the project as a whole. You can include the address of this website, tampabaysolarsystem.org, and if you add the QR code pictured at right, then people can use their smartphones or other mobile devices to scan the code and go directly to the website for more information.

Spread the Word

You can also help out by telling people about the project. Please spread the word to your friends, family and coworkers. Share this website on social media. Help get people excited about building the largest scale model of the solar system in the United States!

Pictured to the right is a flier that you can print out and post at your local gathering spot to help spread the word about the project. Click here to download a pdf file, or click on the image to access a larger jpg file. Color laser prints work best for this flier.

If you have a website of your own, you can help get the word out by providing a link to this site. Below is a logo that you may use.

Get in Touch

Please give us your feedback about the project or let us know how you’d like to help out. You can send an email to info@tampabaysolarsystem.org or use the contact form.

Donate

You can also participate by donating much-needed funds to the project. Donations will be used to pay for materials. All labor is volunteer.